Borussia Mönchengladbach is stuck in the bottom of the Bundesliga table. In the traditional duel against the almost overwhelming FC Bayern, there are small glimmers of hope for the “Fohlen” team.
March 29th was an eternity ago in professional football time. It was the day on which Borussia Mönchengladbach won their last game in the Bundesliga so far. A record of horror for the proud, traditional club from the Lower Rhine.
When you look at the details, the analysis becomes even more unpleasant for the foals. Borussia have not won in 14 Bundesliga games across the seasons (5 draws, 9 defeats), which is the longest negative streak in the club’s history. This also comes about because the two best offensive players Tim Kleindienst and Robin Hack (both knee injuries) have been out since the start of the season.
It should therefore come as no surprise to anyone that interim coach Eugen Polanski’s team is in last place in the table under these personal circumstances and with the current paltry three points after seven games.
Basic principles in the foreground
To make matters worse, Borussia has to compete on Saturday (from 3:30 p.m. in the audio stream and in the live ticker at sportschau.de) against the currently overpowering and no-loss league leaders FC Bayern (21 points).
The 115th edition of this duel, which once fascinated the whole of Germany because two title contenders dueled on equal terms, has become an almost normal Bundesliga game – because the signs have completely changed.
“To put it bluntly, the task is not easy. I ask the team to defend themselves passionately in duels. This has to be visible to everyone and so we have to find our way into the game through good, smaller actions.”said Polanski before the game. Because almost nothing comes together, the basic principles of football are clearly in the foreground for the Gladbach team.
Bright spot Tabakovic
But what can give the coach hope for the game – and a better future – for his team?
With Haris Tabakovic, the Gladbachers have another dangerous striker who has scored three of the six goals this season for Borussia. The Bosnian is at least a small ray of hope.
And: In one category, Mönchengladbach is even twice as good as FC Bayern: Borussia scored four goals this season with headers (Bundesliga best).
Dangerous situation
Nico Elvedi’s record against the record champions is also impressive. The 29-year-old has the most wins against FC Bayern among active players in the Bundesliga. In eight of 21 competitive games (7 in the Bundesliga, one in the DFB Cup) he emerged victorious against FCB.
And even if the starting situation seems more than explosive and extremely dangerous, the Gladbachers can still remain confident with a view to the end of the season: No win in the first seven games, that has already happened to the “Foals” twice in the Bundesliga history, in 1986/87 and 1990/91. In these two seasons, the first win came in the eighth game. Incidentally, Gladbach was not relegated in either season.
The team first has to prove whether this record can be positively refreshed.
No astrophysics
Polanski also knows how to work against Bayern. As a player, the 39-year-old had scored points in half of his ten Bundesliga games against FCB: with Mainz and Hoffenheim he won once against Munich, drew twice and once with Mönchengladbach.
In his last duel against the record champions in September 2017, he managed a 2-0 win with Hoffenheim. “What Bayern are doing, they’re doing really well. But it’s not astrophysics what they’re playing, you don’t have to have studied it,” said Polanski, who demands above all commitment and passion from his players.