Karlsruhe and Eintracht Frankfurt repaid the 80 minutes of my life (and the 51,000 strong at the Commerz Bank Arena) that they stole with a scintillating finish. A game that was so boring that it would be offensive to compare it to the oft-used paint drying scenario, erupted into a comedy of blunders in the 80’. But at least a comedy is entertaining, unlike the majority of the game, where my suicidal ideation was the most notable feat.

Perhaps the two clubs were just efficient, and I shouldn’t be so harsh. After all they compacted the game into 10 minutes, and five moments that mattered.

1. The First Shots on Goal
They came in the 80’ by Gorlitz and 81’ by Carnell and while not that spectacular, they did wake me.

2. Goal #1
In the 82’, Karlsruhe had a corner. Bradley Carnell swung the ball into the near post. Marco Russ treated KSC defender Maik Franz like a set of car keys and lost him in the box. Franz got to the ball and headed it cleanly in for the game winning goal.

Or at least that’s how KSC treated it, because they all piled on Franz, their traveling support started singing Seven Nation Army and they effectively shut off.

3. Goal #2
Celozzi’s sole contribution to this game was a 84’ foul that led to an Inamoto free kick from about 40 meters. Not one to find a target with his free kicks, Inamoto sent it right to Markus Millar who punched the ball literally straight down to a completely free and stunned Benjamin Kohler. Kohler had spent most of the game giving a clinic on how to get dispossessed, but nobody was near him as Millar’s blunder fell to his feet. You could literally hear Bruchhagen ripping up Funkel’s pink slip as Kohler slotted it home.

4. Karlsruhe’s missed opportunity
Karlsruhe hit on a quick counter in the 88’ when Christian Timm found a streaking Sebastian Freis free in the left channel. Freis calmly slotted the ball past Oka Nikolov and then past the far post. Nikolov, who was poorly positioned and left his near post in danger, wrote a thank you card to Freis and is just waiting to find a stamp to mail it.

5. The Late Winner
Franz conceded a corner in added time. On the ensuing in-swinger, the ball ping-ponged to Amanatidis. He was allowed to waltz to the near post where he proceeded to nutmeg Millar for the goal that Funkel described as “I don’t have to clean out my office tonight!”