Focus on Rhenish Derby
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After the spectacular end to their series of horrors in the Bundesliga, the Borussia Mönchengladbach players picked up their next work order from their fans. The 4-0 win at FC St. Pauli was a first boost after 15 games without a win across the season. A success in the derby against Rhenish rivals 1. FC Köln next Saturday (6:30 p.m./Sky) would finally make Gladbach’s recently suffering followers forget the leaden times.
“The derby is always special. We have now had a speech from the fans. This is very, very important for them and also very important for us,” said two-time goalscorer Haris Tabakovic. The equally strong midfielder Florian Neuhaus is also aware of the importance of the derby: “It’s a very special game for everyone around Borussia. That’s why we have to deliver there too.”
The victory at Hamburg’s Millerntor came at the best time of all. Since March 29th (1-0 against RB Leipzig), the Gladbach fans and team had to wait for a sense of success in the Bundesliga. The negative record forced coach Gerardo Seoane out of office in mid-September, and Eugen Polanski took over on an interim basis. Things have gotten better in terms of play since then, but the results haven’t at the moment.
On Tuesday, the Gladbach team were once again able to experience the feeling of victory in an important game with a 3-1 win against Karlsruher SC in the DFB Cup. Now salvation came in the league for an opponent who had just stumbled. The victory at FC St. Pauli is a strong signal to the outside world – and to the inside. “This can definitely be a breast lifter. That was what was still missing, this sense of success. And we definitely want to continue with that,” said Neuhaus.
In Hamburg, he and his colleagues showed variable play, consistent defense and effective finishing. With his fourth and fifth goals this season and an assist, the 31-year-old Tabakovic provided further evidence that he is more than just a replacement for the long-injured striker Tim Kleindienst (30).
When will Polanski’s promotion at Borussia Mönchengladbach come?
Coach Polanski didn’t want to talk about a liberation after the game. “I’m not a fan of making big noises, but I believe that we should deliver on the pitch,” said the 39-year-old at the press conference. “We have made good steps in the last few weeks, which were perhaps visible to you in the last two games. For me they were visible before.”
After the game, the question of when Polanski will be promoted from his status as interim to official head coach became even more pressing than in the past few days. However, sporting director Rouven Schröder, who has been in office since mid-October, stuck to his line in his answers. “The conviction is the same as before the game,” said the 50-year-old. “I said it. We have a really good feeling, we’re on the right track, we’re playing the derby and we didn’t let ourselves be tempted from the start.” It is “absolutely clear that we also want to decide things, but we definitely won’t let ourselves be pushed into doing it too hastily.”
In the coming week there is only one topic left: the derby. The fans are already ready. The team will be too – Schröder is convinced of that. “At the end of the day, I don’t think you need to motivate anyone,” he said. The game has meaning for the entire environment. “And still basically for collecting points. I mean, that’s on top of that.” Because despite all the joy about their first win and leaving last place in the table – even as third from bottom, the Gladbachers are still in the middle of a relegation battle.
