Borussia Mönchengladbach’s left side experienced a game to forget in the 1-5 defeat in Bremen. She has to improve significantly for the upcoming derby.
Yann Sommer sits on the lawn, raises his hands for help and looks angrily at the people in front of him. This picture has it this season Borussia Monchengladbach actually not given yet. The fact that it became reality after just 15 minutes on Saturday evening (October 1st, 2022) in Bremen gives some indication of the performance up to that point.
Gladbach duel leadership poor
Because for almost the entire first 45 minutes, the Fohlen-Elf showed what is probably their worst performance since Daniel Farke came as coach in the summer. Actually, the football world in Mönchengladbach was completely fine before the away game. A defeat against Mainz has been recorded so far – annoying, but not too tragic.
In Bremen, however, the team did not play as if they had mostly convinced since then. Especially defensively, Borussia made too many mistakes in the first round – and especially when conceding goals, they lacked any duel leadership. So Bremen was almost allowed to put the ball to the flank before the 1-0. Before the 2:0, no Borusse made it into the duel “man against man” at several stations. “We weren’t really there for the first 15 minutes, we didn’t have any duels,” explained goalkeeper Yann Sommer on Sky.
Coach Farke also saw it this way in an interview with Sportschau: “If you’re already 3-0 down after 15 minutes and don’t feel like you’re on the pitch, that’s obviously disappointing.” In the last few days he had had the feeling that the players had had more to do with themselves after international trips and injuries. “Nevertheless, we obviously wanted to start differently and don’t take that as an excuse,” says Farke. His team played far too many bad passes and lost almost every duel.
Bensebaini experiences fiasco
In addition, the left Gladbach side in particular caught a pitch-black day. Ramy Bensebaini, a left-back, headed back and into the barrel of a Bremen striker when he conceded the third goal. The 4-0 for Werder was also due to him when he steered an actually harmless cross into his own net with relative clumsiness. The hits before had come on the left side of Gladbach.
Nevertheless, you have to give the Elf from the Lower Rhine credit: In the second half, they were significantly better again. The game was already over by then, but the morale of the troops was right. Five shots in the first 15 minutes of the second half proved that – as did Marcus Thuram’s consolation goal. “We still had our chances, but the first 15 minutes were just too bad,” Sommer summed up. Of course, the fifth goal against was also caught on the left.
Increase in the Rhine derby necessary
“Of course we have to analyze this game, ask ourselves why there are 15 minutes like this. But it doesn’t help to break your head completely. Now we have to build ourselves up again and then we can continue”, goalkeeper Sommer looked ahead. Borussia should take the morale and will from the second half with them for this build-up and hope that the players will be able to show this immediately next time.
Because on Sunday (October 9th, 2022) at 3.30 p.m. a special game awaits, for the fans one of the most important things of the season: arch-rivals 1. FC Köln come to Borussia-Park for the derby.
