Despite major personnel concerns, the Gladbachers managed their next home win against strong Hoffenheim away.
Hardly anyone at Borussia Mönchengladbach had expected this three points.
When winger and pace player Nathan Ngoumou scored the 2-1 winning goal against TSG Hoffenheim in the final phase in an unusual role as a center forward, there was unusually big celebration. “Today was a very important win. Of course we were lucky in the game. But compliments on how the team dealt with all the personnel difficulties,” said coach Gerardo Seoane after the fourth competitive home win in a row and the jump into the top half of the table.
Sports director Nils Schmadtke was also impressed by the team’s performance. In addition to Julian Weigl and Maximilian Wöber, the two attack leaders Jordan Siebatcheu and Tomas Cvancara were also unavailable at short notice. “It wasn’t easy. But we show a good mentality and have grown as a team. The team shows a very good face,” said Schmadtke after the small improvement, which of course will continue on Tuesday in the DFB Cup round of 16 against VfL Wolfsburg should. “But for the first time we have to see what the staff looks like,” explained Borussia’s sports director.
For almost an hour it was a typical 0-0 game and Hoffenheim, who had previously been undefeated in six away games, didn’t allow much in defense. A penalty, which Alassane Plea converted after a foul on himself, seemed to bring about the turning point after an hour. But it took less than two minutes for Hoffenheim’s center forward Wout Weghorst to equalize. “It was a brave penalty, but we came back quickly,” said Hoffenheim defender Kevin Akpoguma. “So it was a completely unnecessary defeat, especially since we played a completely different game than last week,” said the defensive player.
Gladbacher forced to make changes
The Gladbachers were forced to make some changes a week after the 4-2 defeat at Borussia Dortmund. Florian Neuhaus and Marvin Friedrich returned to the starting lineup after four games. In the center of the attack, coach Gerardo Seoane surprisingly relied on the fast Ngoumou, who repeatedly caused danger with his pace.
However, the hosts overall had a difficult time against Hoffenheim’s compact defense. The Gladbachers had few scoring opportunities. The best still had Rocco Reitz, who shot over the goal from close range and a tight angle shortly before the break, and Plea, whose shot just missed the left post. Ten minutes before the end, after a cross from Luca Netz, Ngoumou stood where a center forward should stand and confidently pushed the ball over the line to score the winning goal. “We are grateful and happy that Nathan interpreted this role in the best possible way. He was able to set some accents with his speed. That’s why we made this decision,” said Seoane.
Source: Stern
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