Super Eagles watch: 3 hard lessons for Onyedika after Frankfurt lose 7-0 vs Brentford

Super Eagles midfielder Raphael Onyedika’s first major test with Eintracht Frankfurt ended in a heavy defeat as Brentford won 7-0 in the German club’s final pre-season friendly at the Gtech Community Stadium, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Nigerian midfielder played all 90 minutes, but Frankfurt struggled to control the game from the start and lost heavily to the Premier League side. Brentford scored twice inside the opening 12 minutes and then punished Frankfurt’s defensive problems with four more goals during a destructive spell in the second half.

The result was especially uncomfortable for Onyedika because Frankfurt signed him from Club Brugge to add strength and defensive control to their midfield. The 25-year-old joined on a five-year contract until June 2031 in a deal worth an initial €9m, with the total fee potentially reaching €10m with add-ons.

Frankfurt need Onyedika to help repair a team that conceded 86 goals across the Bundesliga and Champions League last season. The defeat by Brentford showed that the task will not be simple.

Here are three hard lessons the Super Eagles midfielder can take from the game.

Onyedika cannot allow the midfield to be bypassed

Frankfurt’s biggest problem was not only in defence. Brentford repeatedly moved the ball through midfield and attacked the space behind Frankfurt’s central players.

Onyedika started alongside Oscar Højlund, but the pair struggled to slow down Brentford’s quick, direct attacks. The Nigerian was often pulled away from the areas he needed to protect. Brentford’s players then found space between the midfield and defence and attacked Frankfurt before the German side could recover its shape.

That is a major lesson for Onyedika. His job at Frankfurt is not simply to win tackles. He has been brought in as a defensive midfielder who can protect the back four, close passing lanes and stop attacks before they reach the defence. Against Brentford, that protection was missing for long periods.

His Sofascore rating of 6.3 indicated a difficult afternoon for the former Club Brugge star. The challenge will become even harder once competitive football starts. Bundesliga opponents will test Frankfurt’s midfield with faster movement and better organisation.

Onyedika will need to read danger earlier and position himself so that the defence does not become exposed every time Frankfurt lose possession.

Frankfurt’s defensive problems cannot be solved by one player

The first 12 minutes gave Onyedika a clear picture of the scale of the problem. Brentford opened the scoring in the second minute after Mathias Jensen delivered a dangerous free-kick into the box. Frankfurt failed to clear the ball. Keane Lewis-Potter recycled it, Nathan Collins won the next aerial challenge and headed the ball across goal for Kevin Schade to finish from close range.

Ten minutes later, Frankfurt conceded again. Mamadou Sangaré was left unmarked and had enough time to control a loose ball before smashing a volley into the net.

Those goals were not caused by one midfielder losing his position. They were signs of a team that struggled to defend as a unit. Captain Robin Koch’s injury made matters worse. His absence left Frankfurt with a younger and less experienced defensive line.

Onyedika therefore has to understand that his role will involve more than his own individual performance. He must help organise the players around him and give the defence an extra layer of protection. That will be vital for a Frankfurt side trying to improve after conceding heavily last season.

Giving the ball away can be punished brutally

The second half showed another problem that Onyedika and his team-mates must solve quickly. Frankfurt pushed more players forward because they needed goals. That created large spaces behind them.

Brentford attacked those spaces with speed. Igor Thiago and Schade led several dangerous moves, while Frankfurt struggled to get enough players back before the next attack arrived.

Dango Ouattara made it 4-0 in the 52nd minute when his fierce shot beat goalkeeper Kauã Santos at the near post. Santos had already endured a difficult afternoon, including being rounded too easily by Schade for Brentford’s third goal.

The four-goal second-half burst showed how quickly one mistake could become another. That is important for Onyedika because Frankfurt will expect him to help control these moments.

If he loses the ball, he must react quickly. If a team-mate moves forward, he must understand the space left behind. If Frankfurt are under pressure, he may need to slow the game instead of forcing another attack. The 7-0 scoreline was a brutal warning that Frankfurt cannot afford to lose their structure. Otherwise, it could be a long frustrating season ahead for the Super Eagles midfielder and his Frankfurt teammates.