It was the sort of finish only a striker at the top of his game would attempt, let alone execute.
As he drifted in behind a usually miserly Union Berlin defence following a clever reverse pass from Daichi Kamada, Andre Silva needed just one touch to fire the ball past Andreas Luthe from the edge of the box.
Lethal, ruthless, remorseless, clinical – whatever superlative you can think of, it has probably been used to describe Eintracht Frankfurt’s in-form number nine this season.
That instinctive, 41st-minute finish against Union was Silva’s second of the game and 22nd of the campaign. In the Bundesliga, only Robert Lewandowski has found the net with more regularity.
And, two years after Frankfurt fans watched in horror as their holy trinity strikeforce of Luka Jovic, Sebastien Haller and Ante Rebic was broken up, the Eagles’ fanbase is fearing another summer of relentless speculation.
Since the turn of the year, West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Manchester United and Arsenal have been linked with their free-scoring Portugal international (BILD, the Daily Mail and Sky).
Calciomercato even suggests Silva has been lined up to replace Alexandre Lacazette in Mikel Arteta’s front line.
However, if Silva does follow Jovic, Haller and Rebic out the door, he may leave as a living legend.
No player in Frankfurt’s Bundesliga history has scored more than 26 goals in a season. Furthermore, Adi Hutter’s side have never before played Champions League football.
If Silva continues to find the net at such a remarkable rate, both those statements will be null and void by the end of May.
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