In the Bundesliga, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund are fighting for points in the last game before the World Cup break. Both clubs have recently let more, sometimes less, slide.
It is always particularly explosive, the Borussia duel in the Soccer Bundesliga. This is not only due to sporting history, but is also due to a little dislike of BVB that has grown in the Gladbach fan base. In recent years, he has used the team from the Lower Rhine heavily, not only ex-coach Marco Rose succumbed to Dortmund’s calls, the players Marco Reus, Thorgan Hazard and Mahmoud Dahoud have also recently switched to the other Borussia.
Inconsistency at both Borussia clubs on the agenda
At the moment, the current sporting situation is creating healthy pressure on both sides before the meeting on Friday evening (11/11/2022, 8:30 p.m.). Because a lack of consistency is an issue for both clubs this season. Gladbach took less than half of all possible points in five wins, four draws and five defeats. And is therefore only in ninth place. After all, coach Daniel Farke’s team hasn’t lost twice in a row this season, but they’ve also never won two games in a row.
Dortmund coach Edin Terzic stands on the sidelines with his arms crossed.
However, it succeeded Borussia Dortmund. Coach Edin Terzic’s team is close to the leading group in sixth place and recently celebrated three wins in a row against Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Bochum. However, VfL Wolfsburg put a damper on BVB at 0: 2 on Tuesday evening. There is still a bit missing from Dortmund, who are currently two points behind SC Freiburg and Union Berlin and six behind Bayern.
Marco Reus is absent from Dortmund and Germany
And Terzic still has to do without Marco Reus in the intended race to catch up. The 33-year-old “is not yet free of pain” and will therefore fail like in Wolfsburg. “We hope that we will get him fit again in the next few weeks so that he will be back in the new year,” said Terzic without explaining the pain in more detail. Annoying, because Reus scored eleven goals in 15 games against his former club Gladbach. Most recently, Reus had complained of ankle pain. He will also miss the World Cup in Qatar.
Farke’s personnel worries in the goalkeeper position continue
But even at Gladbach, personnel worries are driving Coach Farke a few worry lines on his forehead. “No chance with Tobias Sippel, no chance with Yann Sommer,” he said regarding the chances of his two keepers. Instead, 20-year-old Jan Olschowsky will make his second Bundesliga appearance.
Sommer suffered an ankle injury in the DFB Cup game at Darmstadt 98 in mid-October. Alassane Pléa will also miss the Borussia duel. The in-form French striker is out with a corona infection. It’s “not the easiest news to digest,” Farke said. At least central defender Ko Itakura could make his comeback, but for the Japanese, who has been back in team training for two days, only a short assignment would be an option.
Strongest duel players: Friedrich and Schlotterbeck
Marvin Friedrich is currently seeded in the central defender position. Although the 26-year-old has not been flawless in positional play so far, he has been strong in his tackles so far this season: Among all players who have completed at least a third of the season, Friedrich has the second best rate of 68 percent winning duels. Only one is better: Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck (69 percent).
