Kostic leads Frankfurt to third straight win

SINSHEIM, Germany (Reuters) - Filip Kostic scored once and set up another two goals to guide Eintracht Frankfurt to a 3-1 victory at Hoffenheim on Sunday as their third straight Bundesliga win kept them in fourth place and on course for a Champions League spot.

Eintracht, who have won seven of their last eight league games, quickly took control and Serbia winger Kostic broke clear down the left and fired in a fine left-foot shot from a tight angle.

The visitors controlled the pace in the first half but Hoffenheim drew level in the 47th with substitute Ilhas Bebou shaking off two Frankfurt players before drilling the ball home two minutes after coming on.

Frankfurt, however, struck twice in three minutes with their first chances in the second half with Evan Ndicka heading in what initially had looked like a harmless free kick from Kostic.

Andre Silva powered in a downward header at the far post from a superbly chipped Kostic cross in the 64th to complete a lightning-quick counter-attack that caught Hoffenheim completely off guard.

Portuguese Silva has now netted 17 times and is second on the scorers list behind Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski who has 24.

Frankfurt are on 36 points, one ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, and two behind third-placed VfL Wolfsburg. Bayern Munich lead the title race on 48 points.

The late Sunday game between Arminia Bielefeld and Werder Bremen was postponed due to heavy snow in the northwestern part of the country.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)