Borussia Mönchengladbach stopped its negative trend in the Bundesliga with a win at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and celebrated its first win of the new year. Jonas Hofmann was the man of the match.
At the start of the second half of the Bundesliga, the “foals” won 4:1 on the 18th matchday at 1899 in front of 23,000 spectators. National player Hofmann scored in the 12th and 37th minutes.
Ihlas Bebou (80′) was able to shorten the gap in the meantime, but Lars Stindl (83′) and Hannes Wolf (90+1′) went for victory.
After the two defeats against Bayer Leverkusen and at FC Augsburg, Gladbach coach Daniel Farke had demanded a reaction and a better offensive game. After surviving a cold, Hofmann started from the start. Captain Stindl also returned to the starting XI after serving a yellow card suspension.
Winter newcomer Kasper Dolberg was with Hoffenheim. And new signing John Brooks was also in the starting lineup – on his 30th birthday.
Gladbach unrecognizable in Hoffenheim
And he was the center of attention. Stindl captured the ball in midfield and played it to Hofmann for a long time. He took the leather with his head and thundered it into the box from 14 meters. Brooks canceled the offside on Stindl’s pass, then he couldn’t keep up with Hofmann.
Borussia then dominated the game. With fast, direct and, above all, precise passing, we always went forward. In terms of duel behavior, willingness to run and offensive spirit, the team was no longer recognizable compared to the terrible performance in Augsburg.
Stindl and Hofmann harmonize splendidly
In the 37th minute it was logical that the guests made it 2-0. Again it was Stindl who initiated the attack, again it was Hofmann who completed it. After the volley into the top, Hofmann initially got stuck on Brooks, but then put the ball flat into the right corner from 14 meters. Referee Benjamin Brand and his team first decided offside, but then corrected themselves after the VAR took a closer look.
In contrast to Gladbach, Hoffenheim were not at all goal-oriented in the first half. Christoph Baumgartner had his best chance in the 13th minute when he was free in front of the goal after a nice pass from Andrej Kramarić and was already past goalkeeper Jonas Omlin and Ko Itakura had to clear the line. Shortly before the break, Pavel Kadeřábek put the ball free from 13 meters over the Gladbach goal. All in all, the break lead for the guests was deserved.
Gladbach relies on a counterattack in Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim coach André Breitenreiter reacted. Up front he replaced Dolberg, who was completely missed by the game, with Ihlas Bebou. Umut Tohumcu was allowed to replace Sebastian Rudy in the sixth position.
Hoffenheim came out of the dressing room with a lot of anger in his stomach and forced the duels. The Gladbach players in particular felt that – through a number of fouls. Only playfully did little with the hosts. The plan to get back into the game with a quick hit failed.
This was not good for the game. Gladbach switched to control mode and limited himself to keeping the ball away from his own penalty area. And Borussia was waiting for a counterattack. In the 67th minute it was almost 3-0. Marcus Thuram opened up on the right and played the ball into the middle, where Hofmann missed the ball and Stindl was denied by goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.
Bebou only gives Hoffenheim hope for a short time
Fifteen minutes before the end, Hoffenheim then launched the final offensive. Baumgartner hit the post in the 79th minute, but Bebou did better a little later.
But in 1899 there was only a brief chance of an equaliser. After the goal, Gladbach shook himself briefly – and then hit back. Joe Scally played the ball from the right into the penalty area to Hofmann, who took revenge on Stindl and put the ball on his captain to make it 3-1. After a spotless counterattack via Luca Netz, Wolf even made it 4-1 in injury time.
With the win, Borussia improves to eighth place in the table, at least temporarily. Hoffenheim, who are still waiting for their first win of the year after losing at Union Berlin and drawing against Stuttgart, remain in 13th place. The team has not had a three-pointer for eight games in total.
Hoffenheim in the DFB Cup against Leipzig
In the round of 16 of the DFB Cup, Hoffenheim has to play RB Leipzig away from home (Wednesday, February 1st, 2023 at 6 p.m.). In the Bundesliga, Borussia Mönchengladbach continues with a home game against FC Schalke 04 (Saturday, February 4th, 2023 at 6.30 p.m.). Hoffenheim was challenged in Bochum three hours earlier.