Borussia Mönchengladbach has embarked on a new path with Roland Virkus and Daniel Farke. In the top game, however, the old Bayern record should be continued.
Daniel Farke prefers to bake small rolls before his Bayern debut. The Munich team is “currently probably the most in-form and hottest team in Europe. Their start was very impressive,” said the new Borussia Mönchengladbach coach before the match between first and second. And yet Farke stuck to an old Gladbach tradition: “We will not wave the white flag.”
Farke may be new to the Bundesliga, but Borussia’s traditional strength against the record champions did not go unnoticed by the 45-year-old before the duel on Saturday (6:30 p.m. / Sky). Gladbach have won eight of their old rivals’ last 17 competitive games, Bayern just six. Last season there were even two wins and a draw from Borussia’s point of view, including the furious 5-0 in the DFB Cup.
Virkus was initially met with skepticism
Can the Bayern shock of the past few years strike again and catch the league leaders who are already rushing away? Farke firmly believes in a chance. “There are three points up for grabs in every Bundesliga game, so we want to be competitive in Munich and get the maximum out of it,” says the Bundesliga newcomer, whose team also got off to a strong start with seven points.
Only a few weeks ago, very few fans would have expected that. Because with Farke, but also sports director Roland Virkus, the five-time champion has embarked on a new path after a disappointing season under Adi Hütter. Virkus, who was hardly known outside of the Lower Rhine, was initially met with skepticism when he inherited the difficult legacy from Max Eberl.
But in the meantime, the sometimes somewhat wooden-looking vircus has swum free. His decision for Farke has paid off, but above all he has gained plus points with the contract extensions with international players Jonas Hofmann and Alassane Plea, which are not a matter of course. If he managed the same feat with Yann Sommer and Marcus Thuram, Virkus would have delivered more than expected.
Thuram regains his old strength
But especially with the in-form striker Thuram, but also with defender Ramy Bensebaini, a departure seems quite possible. In that case, Virkus would have a lot of work to do before the September 1 transfer window closes. After all: The announced, but so far failed to materialize change within the team would then be carried out at least in part.
But because Farke has provided a breath of fresh air in the hardly changed team, the new strong duo Farke / Virkus has worked so far. And for the duel with Bayern there are already enough players who know how it works.
World champion Christoph Kramer, for example, has already experienced one or the other victory in the Allianz Arena and therefore does not want to have anything to do with excitement before the top game. His motto: “Traditionally, we always go to Munich in a very relaxed manner.”