SINSHEIM, Germany – Japan international Ritsu Doan starred with two goals and an assist as he led Eintracht Frankfurt to a 3-1 win away to Hoffenheim in the German Bundesliga on Saturday.
The standout performance continued a productive start with Frankfurt for the 27-year-old, who transferred from Bundesliga rivals Freiburg in the summer and netted two goals on debut in a 5-0 German Cup win over lower-league Engers on Aug. 17.
Doan struck his maiden league goal for the Eagles in style against a previously in-form Hoffenheim side, curling in with precision from 18 meters out to open the scoring in the 17th minute at PreZero Arena.
The Samurai Blue attacker made it 2-0 with his brace 10 minutes later, timing his run down the right and tapping in to complete a quick counterattack by the visitors.
Doan set up teammate Can Uzun with a clever through-ball from the right of the area for a 3-0 lead in the 51st minute before the home team denied manager Dino Toppmoeller’s men a clean sheet with a consolation goal in injury time.
“Ritsu Doan’s brilliant first goal opened the door for us, and our second and third goals were really well worked too, from start to finish,” Toppmoeller said
Elsewhere in Germany, Japan defender Yukinari Sugawara played 90 minutes on debut for Werder Bremen, who drew 3-3 with 10 men against visiting Bayer Leverkusen, while Samurai Blue forward Shuto Machino made his first start for Borussia Monchengladbach in a 1-0 loss away to Stuttgart.
In the Dutch Eredivisie, Japan center-back Ko Itakura bagged his first goal for heavyweights Ajax, turning in the 61st-minute equalizer off a corner kick in their 1-1 draw away to Volendam.
