Player of the season: Neuhaus and Stindl in focus

Alongside Florian Neuhaus, captain Lars Stindl is also up for Borussia’s Player of the Season award, presented by Cichon Personalmanagement. We look back at both players’ seasons.

It takes a special moment of brilliance for a single action in a match to linger in the memory of fans. It was one such moment that Florian Neuhaus conjured up in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League against Inter Milan. Receiving the ball deep in his own half, Neuhaus hit a first-time, defence-splitting through ball past six opponents into the path of Jonas Hofmann, who kept cool to equalise for Borussia.

The Landsberg native had a great season, missing only one match out of 46 due to a yellow card suspension. Playing alongside Christoph Kramer or Denis Zakaria in midfield, Neuhaus took on the more attacking role, threading passes through opponents' defences to set up dangerous opportunities for Gladbach. The 24-year-old was a key pillar in the centre of the park and also contributed a fair share of goals on top of this. An example of this was the 4-1 win against FC Schalke 04, in which he set the course for victory by breaking the deadlock, before assisting Oscar Wendt for Borussia’s second goal after Schalke had levelled the scores. Foals fans rewarded his performance by voting him Man of the Match and later Player of the Month for November.

Neuhaus finished the 2020/21 season with a tally of six goals and six assists - a strong return for a midfielder. One of these goals was particularly important. Matchday 15 saw Borussia taking on the champions Bayern Munich, a match won 3-2 by the Foals after Neuhaus curled a brilliant effort into the top corner from long distance. In addition to his direct goal involvements, the midfielder has also worked hard to improve his transitional play and has become tougher in tackles, increasing his effectiveness in duels. The 24-year-old has kept his feet firmly planted on the ground throughout the season though: “I know that there are some things I’m good at. At the same time, there are other aspects of my game that I don’t do so well yet and I still need to work on. I’m always keen to hear constructive criticism and try to do better next time. I’m always trying to develop myself further.”

Leader and driving force

With 14 Bundesliga goals, Lars Stindl was Borussia’s top scorer and set a new personal record. On top of that, the captain has notched up 10 assists, meaning he has been directly involved in 24 goals for Gladbach this season in the league. This figure increases to 31 goal involvements in all competitions, with a total of 17 goals and 14 assists. The 32-year-old’s early goal on the final matchday of the season against Werder Bremen was Stindl’s 50th in the Bundesliga for Gladbach.

The 2020/21 season saw Stindl leading and driving the team forward. This was particularly evident in the 3-3 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. The captain put Borussia ahead with a great free kick from 25 metres, before the Eagles completely turned the tables and scored three goals. However, thanks to a sublime hattrick display Stindl rescued a point as the game finished 3-3. First staying cool to convert a penalty won by Breel Embolo, the captain reacted quickest on the rebound to poke home after Ibrahima Traoré’s initial header was saved by Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp. Following the match, head coach Marco Rose once again emphasised Stindl’s value to the team: “Lars is and remains a key factor in how we play. He is always the one driving us forward.”

200 competitive appearances for the Foals

Stindl continued his great run of form in the new year, setting up two goals in Borussia’s 3-2 victory against Bayern Munich. The next match in Stuttgart saw the captain again involved in two goals as he scored from the spot before providing the assist for Denis Zakaria with a perfectly weighted pass. “Lars is very fit at the moment and is consistently performing at a high level. He scores plenty of goals, provides the assists for many more, and always works extremely hard for the team. That’s what makes him such a good choice as captain,” praised Marco Rose. Alongside scoring his 50th Bundesliga goal for Gladbach, Stindl was able to celebrate another landmark this season as he made his 200th competitive appearance for the Foals against 1. FSV Mainz 05 on Matchday 22.

April saw the 32-year-old sidelined for three games following a torn muscle, but Stindl recovered in time for the final three matches of the Bundesliga season. On the bench for the disappointing 6-0 defeat against Bayern Munich, the captain was back in fine form for the final game of the season against Werder Bremen. Scoring his 50th Bundesliga goal for the Foals after just three minutes, Stindl also set up Ramy Bensebaini’s header that made it 3-0 as well as Florian Neuhaus’ goal to make it four. Borussia’s captain was in outstanding form throughout the 2020/21 season, breaking his own personal records and securing the Player of the Month award in both December and February.