The final game in the first half of the Bundesliga season saw Borussia Mönchengladbach lose 1-0 away at FC Augsburg.
Around 23,000 fans were at the WWK-Arena as the Foals targeted a first away win of the season. They controlled more of the ball in the first half, but struggled to create noteworthy chances. The hosts offered more of a threat, yet failed to make the most of their opportunities. Augsburg stepped up their efforts after the change of ends and, despite resistance from Borussia, got their reward in the 82nd minute through Mergim Berisha’s winner.
TEAM NEWS
Daniel Farke made just the one change to his side compared to Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Leverkusen. Jonas Hofmann missed out through illness, however, Marcus Thuram returned from injury to lead the line. The rest of the team was unchanged, with Jonas Omlin, Stefan Lainer, Nico Elvedi, Ramy Bensebaini, Manu Koné, Julian Weigl, Nathan Ngoumou, Christoph Kramer and Alassane Plea joining frontman Thuram in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Alongside Hofmann, the Foals were also without Lars Stindl due to a yellow-card suspension and Yvandro Borges Sanches, who is working his way back from a groin injury.
FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
6’: FCA have the first decent chance of the game, although Maier is leaning back with his shot on the turn and the ball clears the target.
9’: An Augsburg counter leads to Berisha testing Omlin with a powerful shot that he is able to parry away.
19’: Gladbach threaten for the first time. Plea lays the ball off to Lainer to shoot first time from the edge of the box, but it slips narrowly wide of the post.
36’: The home fans are celebrating after corner kick drops for Beljo to finish from close range. VAR takes a closer look, however, and Gouweleeuw was offside in the build-up.
40’: A deflected shot from Koné bounces into the bath of Thuram, but he can’t find a way to squeeze the ball past Gikiewicz from a tight angle.
SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
50’: Maier has the first opportunity of this half too, again he’s unable to pick out his spot with a shot from around 18 yards though.
52’: Augsburg come close once more. Demirovic takes aim from the top of the box and it takes a brilliant fingertip save from Omlin to keep him out.
63’: A lucky escape. Engels’ corner finds the unmarked Gouweleeuw, whose header clips the outside of the post.
65’: Elvedi makes a run forward and is fed a ball into the box by Plea, but the defender’s shot is straight at the keeper.
82’: FCA lead late on. Yeboah cuts inside and crosses from the left. It finds Berisha, who flicks the ball past the helpless Omlin with the outside of his boot on the volley. 1-0 to Augsburg.
MATCH FACTS
Augsburg: Gikiewicz – Gumny, Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai, Pedersen – Engels, Rexhbecaj (81’ Dorsch), Maier, Demirovic – Beljo (66’ Yeboah), Berisha (90+2’) // Unused subs: Koubek, Colina, Baumgartlinger, Caligiuri, Sarenren Bazee
Borussia: Omlin – Lainer (87’ Wolf), Itakura, Elvedi, Bensebaini – Weigl (90’ Friedrich), Koné (87’ Telalovic) – Ngoumou (74’ Herrmann), Kramer (46’ Neuhaus), Plea – Thuram // Unused subs: Olschowsky, Jantschke, Scally, Netz,
Goals: 1-0 Berisha (82’)
Attendance: 23,153
Yellow cards: Dorsch – Lainer, Plea
Referee: Daniel Schlager
