Noah Atubolu's Heroics Propel Frankfurt to Derby Victory
Jürgen Klopp came to watch – and Noah Atubolu made sure he left with a name ringing in his ears.
Eintracht Frankfurt’s 3-1 derby win away at 1. FSV Mainz 05 had goals, tension and a late consolation. But it hinged on one moment, one duel from twelve yards, and a goalkeeper who now owns a slice of Bundesliga history.
Penalty drama before the break
Frankfurt were already 1-0 up in Mainz, thanks to a familiar face. Former Mainz forward Jonny Burkardt had put the visitors in front, turning the knife against his old club and silencing the home crowd.
Then came the lifeline.
In the 43rd minute, Mainz won a penalty. Captain Nadiem Amiri grabbed the ball, the stadium roared, and the chance to level before half-time seemed too good to waste.
Standing in his way: a 24-year-old who treats penalties like a personal challenge.
Amiri stepped up – and joined the list.
Atubolu guessed right and saved, denying the Mainz skipper and preserving Frankfurt’s lead. It was not just another stop. It was his sixth Bundesliga penalty save in a row, an extraordinary run that has turned him into the league’s undisputed specialist from the spot.
Before Amiri, Romano Schmid, Andre Silva, Florian Wirtz, Kevin Volland and Josip Juranovic had all tried and failed to beat him from twelve yards. All six, shut out by the former Germany youth international.
In Mainz, with the Germany head coach watching on, Atubolu extended his own Bundesliga record.
A Deadline Day gamble paying off
The story behind that save makes it even sharper.
Atubolu had actually pushed for a move to the Premier League in the summer. The plan seemed set, the next step in his career mapped out. It never materialised.
Only on Deadline Day did he land in Frankfurt, the transfer saga finally ending with Eintracht picking up a goalkeeper who suddenly looks like one of the bargains of the window.
On this evidence, that failed Premier League switch might be Germany’s gain.
That penalty stop, with Klopp in the stands and an international break looming on 17 September, felt like a direct application for his first DFB call-up. A “pick me” moment, delivered with gloves instead of words.
Uzun strikes twice, Mainz left chasing shadows
The psychological blow of the missed penalty hit Mainz instantly.
Barely had the home fans processed Atubolu’s save when Frankfurt struck again. Moments after the spot-kick, right on the stroke of half-time, Can Uzun pounced to make it 2-0 for SGE. One end: despair. The other: ruthless punishment.
Mainz never really recovered.
On the hour mark, Uzun struck again. His second of the night, Frankfurt’s third, and the derby effectively wrapped up at 3-0 with half an hour still to play. Clinical finishing on a night when the visitors looked sharper, calmer, and far more composed in both boxes.
Phillip Tietz did pull one back for Mainz in the 89th minute, a consolation that changed the scoreline but not the story. The derby belonged to Frankfurt – and to their goalkeeper.
Not unbeatable, but unshakable
Atubolu’s aura from the spot is growing, but it has not always been this way.
In 2023 and 2024, before this remarkable streak, Julian Weigl, Lois Openda and Marvin Ducksch all scored past him from his first three Bundesliga penalties faced. He learned, adjusted, and turned a weakness into a weapon.
Now he stands on six consecutive saves, a record that forces every future taker to think twice as they place the ball down.
On a derby night in Mainz, with Klopp watching closely and Germany’s next squad announcement looming, that mental edge might just have nudged him closer to the national team door.
How long can a run like this last – and will his next penalty save come in a Germany shirt?
