A brace from shooting star Rocco Reitz was not enough for Borussia Mönchengladbach to achieve the home win they longed for. Werder hit back through Marvin Ducksch and took a point from Borussia Park at 2:2 (1:1).
In an entertaining Friday evening game, Werder took an early lead through Rafael Borré (7th). Rocco Reitz (45th/49th) turned the game around with his first Bundesliga brace before national striker Marvin Ducksch scored the final point for Werder (76th).
“Of course I’m happy about the two goals, but I would have preferred to have played a better game with the team and taken the three points”said Rocco Reitz of the Sportschau.
Ulli Schäfer, Sportschau, December 15, 2023 10:44 p.m
The Gladbachers improved slightly by one place to ninth place. Werder remains twelfth. Both teams are still only separated by two points.
Hundreds of gold thalers for the DFL’s purchase
The initial phase of the game at Borussia Park was also marked by clear expressions of dissatisfaction with the DFL’s investor deal. After twelve minutes of silence, the Gladbachers came up with a funnier option than the Rostock fans who shot rockets onto the field at the previous second division game in Paderborn.
Fans throw chocolate gold coins in the shape of euro coins onto the field
In Gladbach, hundreds of golden chocolate thalers in the form of euro coins flew onto the lawn as a symbol of the DFL’s greed. Gladbach stewards tried for several minutes to collect all the thalers. Only then could the game continue.
At this point it was already 1-0 for the guests from the Weser. Bremen striker Rafael Borré beautifully dropped a cross ball from Romano Schmid into the Gladbach box.
Rocco Reitz – cool as an old hand
It was a deserved lead for Werder, who initially played livelier and fresher than the home team. But Gladbach struck back before half-time.
Gladbach’s man of the hour, Rocco Reitz, was quickest in the 45th minute when he fired a cross pass from Robin Hack past two Werder players.
Robin Hack as the perfect preparer
And things got even better from Gladbach’s point of view, Borussia took the momentum at the end of the first half straight into the second. First, Manu Koné hit the post with a left-footed shot.
But a little later Reitz was there again. Hack put the ball in front of him again. Reitz let Olivier Deman get out and then coolly pushed past keeper Michael Zetterer to take the lead.
Mistake by Nicolas – Ducksch scores
For Reitz it was the first brace in the Bundesliga and the fourth goal in the last five Bundesliga games. The game was turned in favor of Gladbach.
It seemed as if the Gladbachers now had the game under control only to deprive themselves of their reward. After a rather harmless cross ball from Alexander Jung, BMG keeper Moritz Nicolas didn’t really grab the ball. Substitute Justin Njinmah intervened and passed the ball to Marvin Ducksch – and it was 2-2. It stayed that way.
Red taken back for Kramer
There was still excitement in stoppage time when referee Felix Zwayer initially showed substitute Christoph Kramer the red card after a foul on Mitchell Weiser. Zwayer reversed his decision after watching the video and drew a yellow card – the foul wasn’t that bad.
Werder welcomes Leipzig, Gladbach in Frankfurt
Bremen will meet Leipzig in the English week of the Bundesliga (Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.). The foals are challenged by Eintracht one day later (8.30 p.m.).