With Germany coach Jürgen Klopp watching on: Noah Atubolu extends insane penalty record against Mainz

After seven goals conceded in two games and no win, Noah Atubolu finally got off the mark after his last-minute move from Freiburg to Eintracht Frankfurt. On the third matchday, things clicked into place for the ambitious goalkeeper and for the whole team.

With Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp watching on, the Hessians won the derby 3-1 (2-0) away to 1. FSV Mainz 05.

Atubolu played a huge part in the three points with another save in his specialist discipline: penalties.

In the 43rd minute, Frankfurt were 1-0 up through former Mainz player Jonny Burkardt, and the home side had a big chance to level. Captain Nadiem Amiri stepped up from the spot.

Noah Atubolu saves his sixth Bundesliga penalty in a row

Amiri met the same fate as the previous five takers who had faced the 24-year-old wizard in goal. He failed.

That’s right!Atubolu, who had actually wanted to move to the Premier League in the summer and only ended up in Frankfurt on Deadline Day after a long saga, saved his sixth penalty in a row in the Bundesliga. Before Amiri, Romano Schmid, Andre Silva, a certain Florian Wirtz, Kevin Volland and Josip Juranovic had already been denied by the former junior international. Atubolu therefore extended his own Bundesliga record in Mainz.

That was a clear recommendation to Klopp to hand him his first DFB call-up for the upcoming international break on 17 September.

Can Uzun wraps up the win for Frankfurt

On the pitch, it could hardly have gone better for the visitors from Frankfurt. Moments after Atubolu’s save, Can Uzun made it 2-0 for SGE, virtually on the stroke of half-time. Uzun then sealed the result with the 3-0 in the 60th minute. Phillip Tietz managed only a consolation goal for Mainz (89).

Still, Atubolu is by no means unbeatable from the spot. In 2023 and 2024, Julian Weigl, Lois Openda and Marvin Ducksch all beat him from his first three Bundesliga penalties.