TRANSFER TARGET MARMOUSH BOOSTS FRANKFURT, MORE WOE FOR UNION BOSS
Omar Marmoush struck to give Eintracht Frankfurt a 1-0 Bundesliga win at St Pauli on Saturday after the club's sporting director acknowledged a club have shown interest in the Egypt striker.
Markus Krösche did not confirm media reports it was English champions Manchester City but said they may sell "in extraordinary circumstances."
If Marmoush is moving on, he has left the Eagles in third spot as the German top flight returns from a mini mid-season break this weekend.
His goal just after the half hour had as much to do with bad defending as great attacking, but took him on to 14 league goals for the season.
Leaders Bayern Munich visit Borussia Mönchengladbach in the late game after second-placed champions Bayer Leverkusen won 3-2 at Borussia Dortmund on Friday.
In other early Saturday matches, new Union boss Steffen Baumgart endured another blow so early in his reign with a 2-0 loss at third-bottom Heidenheim.
Frans Krätzig scored 17 minutes into his debut after joining on loan from Bayern and it got worse for mid-table Union when Tim Rothe was sent off for a professional foul before half-time. Adrian Beck made it 2-0 late on as the hosts won in the league for the first time since September.
Union were already reeling from the German football federation's decision to gift Bochum a 2-0 victory after their goalkeeper was hit by a lighter thrown by a Union fan in a 1-1 draw late last year.
Union president Dirk Zingler, who is appealing Thursday's decision, said before kick-off: "This ruling is a scandal."
Bochum, still bottom whether the Union points count or not, lost 2-0 at fourth-placed Mainz as fit-again Jonathan Burkardt made the difference with both goals.
Freiburg - in sixth - won 3-2 at home to second-bottom Holstein Kiel and Wolfsburg prevailed 1-0 at hapless Hoffenheim.