Eintracht Frankfurt’s poor run of form continued on Saturday as Bayer Leverkusen claimed a 3-1 away victory at Deutsche Bank Park, bringing an end to Dennis Schmitt’s interim spell in charge on a disappointing note.

The win marked Leverkusen’s 10th victory in 13 Bundesliga matches this season against teams that began the weekend below them in the table, underlining their consistency against lower-ranked opposition.

Frankfurt started brightly and nearly took an early lead when Arnaud Kalimuendo went close in search of a goal for a third straight appearance. However, appeals for a penalty after a challenge by Robert Andrich were waved away, with VAR opting not to overturn referee Robert Schröder’s decision.

The hosts struggled to regain their composure after the incident, and Leverkusen took advantage in the 26th minute. Arthur combined neatly with Alejandro Grimaldo on the right before cutting inside and finishing from a tight angle to score his first Bundesliga goal.

Leverkusen tightened their grip on the match and doubled their lead seven minutes later with a swift counter-attack. A slick three-pass move ended with Christian Kofane laying the ball back for Malik Tillman, who drove a low shot past Kauã Santos. The strike was Tillman’s fourth goal in six matches, following his midweek brace against Villarreal.

Both sides had chances before halftime, with headers going narrowly wide at either end, but Frankfurt were handed renewed hope shortly after the restart.

Five minutes into the second half, Leverkusen failed to clear their lines, allowing Aurèle Amenda to deliver a cross that Robin Koch converted from close range after his initial effort was saved by Janis Blaswich.

Buoyed by the goal, Frankfurt pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but their momentum was halted with 20 minutes remaining. Ellyes Skhiri was sent off for a reckless challenge on Kofane, who was forced off injured, leaving the hosts with 10 men.

Despite being a man down, Frankfurt continued to threaten. Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab was denied by a superb save after a powerful run, while Koch narrowly missed with a late header.

Leverkusen sealed the points in stoppage time when Aleix Garcia finished calmly from close range after being played through by Ernest Poku.

The result moves Leverkusen back within striking distance of the Bundesliga’s top four, while Frankfurt’s hopes of qualifying for European competition now appear increasingly dependent on a seventh-place finish becoming available later in the season.