Hugo Ekitike stars as Frankfurt dominate Braunschweig in DFB-Pokal clash

The match, which took place on Monday evening, saw Frankfurt advance to the second round of Germany's premier cup competition after overcoming a determined first-half challenge from their 2.Bundesliga opponents.

Braunschweig's defence held firm during the first half, frustrating Dino Toppmoller's men and creating several scoring opportunities of their own.

However, the breakthrough came in the 53rd minute when Fares Chaibi tapped in from close range after a clever combination play between Omar Marmoush and Ekitike on the left flank.

Three minutes later, Ekitike doubled Frankfurt's lead in style.

The French forward weaved through three Braunschweig defenders, exchanged passes with Marmoush, and calmly slotted the ball past goalkeeper Lennart Grill.

Ekitike's night got even better after the hour mark when he added his second goal with a delightful chip over Grill, set up by a chested pass from Hugo Larsson.

As the match neared its conclusion, substitute Igor Matanovic headed in Frankfurt's fourth goal from a well-delivered set-piece by Marmoush.

Braunschweig managed to pull one back in the 89th minute when Fabio Di Michele Sanchez found Levente Szabo, who finished off a swift counter-attack.

Despite the late consolation, Frankfurt's performance ensured their place in the next round of the cup.