At Borussia Mönchengladbach there hasn’t been much going on since the win against Bayern. Now comes the derby against Cologne.
The whistling concert could not be ignored, but then the fans of Borussia Mönchengladbach quickly swung around. “We got in the mood for the derby. It was a bit of goosebumps,” said Jonas Hofmann after the 2-2 (0-0) win against Werder Bremen about the dialogue with the fans after the final whistle. One thing is clear: After four games without a win, a win against arch-rivals 1. FC Köln is now needed – otherwise the mood could change.
Because Europe has probably lost sight of Gladbach at the latest after the meager home draw against a Bremen trunk eleven. In the no man’s land of the table, there aren’t too many goals left for the rest of the season – so at least for the fans, winning the derby is at the top of the wish list. “There were a few motivating words, they were good and really went down well with everyone,” said Hofmann.
In Cologne, however, what is needed above all is better exploitation of chances. Hofmann, Marcus Thuram and Co. could have scored five or six goals against Bremen – in the end the goals from Thuram (48th) and Florian Neuhaus (73rd) were not enough because Marvin Ducksch (65th and 89th) scored twice had an answer ready. “It feels like shit, we deserved a win,” said sporting director Roland Virkus, and coach Daniel Farke also admitted: “We just don’t use the chances enough, that’s a general problem.”
Gladbach since the Bayern coup without another win
It’s true: Borussia have not won in four games since beating Bayern Munich, three of which ended without a goal of their own. “Our performance in the second half of the season varied a lot. The game against Bremen reflects the second half of the season – one half wasn’t so good, the other good,” said Virkus. The result is number ten – beyond good and evil.
After all, the team was self-critical. “We’re professionals who pick our own noses,” said Hofmann. The team is “always prepared for the games by coach Farke,” said the national player: “It’s bitter when we don’t manage to shoot the ball in. The coach can’t walk onto the pitch himself.”
The fans can’t score goals either, but they can motivate them. “If you look at their faces – they yell everything, and that’s good,” said Hofmann. What was the most important result of the exchange with the curve? “That we go to Cologne as a unit.” Because then it counts.