Player of the game: No, not Erling Haaland. Not even Jadon Sancho, who only had the role of substitute after a cold at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Thorgan Hazard acted as if it was his personal concern to shoot his ex-club out of the title race. Again and again the Belgian plunged into dribbles, initiated attacks and was not too bad in the 77th minute to defend the lead at his own corner flag. Oh, and Hazard also scored a dream goal to 1-0. This is how you play when your own name translates to danger.
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The result: Is 2: 1 for BVB. Means that Borussia Dortmund misses RB Leipzig in the table and cannot be overtaken by the Gladbachers through their catch-up game against Cologne on Wednesday. Read the match report here.
The first half: Had her top-class scene after only eight minutes when Hazard followed a mediocre first contact with a strong feint and an excellent swing in the left goal corner. The game was usually limited to midfield banter, so Ramy Bensebaini did not venture forward as a template for Gladbach’s equalizing chances. What happened two or three times.
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Summer kick of the evening: The attempt to clarify the accident by keeper Yann Sommer could have had consequences for Gladbach. After a good 30 minutes, he stormed out of his box to clear a long ball – and caught teammate Denis Zakaria so painfully on the thigh that it had to be replaced injured. “He is already in pain, I hope it is not that bad,” said Gladbach trainer Marco Rose on the sky microphone. A diagnosis was still pending in the evening, an operation against Cologne is open.
The second half: Started with a lot of Gladbach pressure. This ended in the meantime compensation when Alassane Pléa extended a corner by foot to Lars Stindl. Gladbach’s captain made his fifth goal in the past four games. Borussia could hardly take too much momentum from it, and if it did, it was passé at the latest after substitution. The first put Achraf Hakimis winning goal, then he hit the inner post himself with a flick. And since Breel Embolo let the ball roll past the goal from six meters in return, that was enough for three points.
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Best taboo player: Most recently, Hoffenheim patron Dietmar Hopp was faced with sharp personal attacks from the fan curves of the league. Expressions fell. Do they belong in the stadium? In any case, Max Eberl sometimes finds a term half as bad. “There is a battle cry against BVB from our fans,” said Gladbach’s manager on the sky microphone. “The word is well known.” Finally, it appeared more frequently in the media. Well, who comes up with it?
Referee in focus: There was good and bad news for Referee Sascha Stegemann in the top game. The good thing: So far nothing sanctionable happened in the stands. The bad: everything else. Stegemann had to lead a fighting game full of unfortunate kicks, tactical fouls and controversial situations. He showed yellow ten times, he ignored the penalty protests of Gladbacher after a supposed foul by Dan-Axel Zagadou on Jonas Hofmann shortly before the break. He let Bensebaini ricochet off in a strange scene before, and the hosts didn’t like that either. But: Over time, Stegemann got the game under control. In the end, he dissolved a pack, in which even Dortmund coach Lucien Favre tried to interfere, in a pleasantly diplomatic way.
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Football fever: In northern Italy, lots are being relocated due to the coronavirus epidemic or are being held in camera. In Mönchengladbach, half an hour’s drive from the German Covid-19 epicenter Heinsberg, they played in full ranks. Card buyers from the affected areas were allowed to voluntarily return their tickets in order to watch a European Cup match live in the next season. True to the motto: Who needs a top Bundesliga game if they can also have a 0: 4 against Wolfsberger AC.
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