EINTRACHT FRANKFURT 2
Amanatidis 18
Steinhofer 42
WIGAN ATHLETIC 0

New boys impress against Budesliga Frankft in Bad Bleiberg

New boys Daniel de Ridder and Oliver Kapo were handed their Latics debut as Steve Bruce fielded a strong team against Bundesliga team Eintracht Frankfurt.

Both impressed with de Ridder showing excellent attacking skills, and Kapo rising high from a 68min corner to head just over.

Latics asked plenty of questions from their opponents in the second-half, most notably from a Ryan Taylor free-kick on 60min which was well saved by the Frankfurt keeper, following a foul on Antonio Valencia.

Before the game Steve Bruce said: "This will be a really tough test for us tonight. Eintracht Frankfurt have been back in pre-season training for quite a lot longer than us, so I know it's going to be difficult.

"The result is not the be all and end all, it's more about the performance."

Chris Kirkland was called into action early in the first-half saving masterfully from point-blank range to keep the scores level.

Frankfurt went ahead on 18 minutes however, when a cross from the left found Loannis Amanatidis, who volleyed home past Kirkland.

Chances for Heskey and Sibierski on 20min, and for Scharner on 25min kept a competitive edge in this warm-up game.

The Bundesliga outfit stretched their lead on 42min, when Steinhofer drilled the ball from the edge of box past Kirkland, with Titus Bramble unlucky not to clear the ball off the line, sending the German side 2-0 up.

Latics now face Hannover 96 on Friday.

LATICS TEAM: Kirkland (Pollitt 46); Boyce, Bramble, Scharner, Kilbane (Camara 60); Valencia (Cotterill 72), Brown, Palacios (Kupisc 67), de Ridder (Kapo 60): Siberski (Taylor 46), Heskey

Subs (not used): Montrose