Patrick Herrmann to retire from playing in the summer
Patrick Herrmann will retire from playing in the summer after 16 years at Borussia, including 15 as a member of the first team. The 33-year-old will remain at Gladbach in a non-playing capacity.
Hofmann and Stindl fire Borussia to 2-0 win over Bochum
Matchday 31 in the Bundesliga saw Borussia Mönchengladbach claim a 2-0 home victory over VfL Bochum thanks to goals from Jonas Hofmann and Lars Stindl.
Both sides began tentatively in front of almost 54,000 spectators at BORUSSIA-PARK, but the Foals gathered momentum as the half wore on, deservedly taking the lead through Jonas Hofmann’s volley after 35 minutes. It could have been more at the break, but Nathan Ngoumou saw his shot hit the crossbar.
Bochum upped the intensity a little after the change of ends and started to create openings of their own. Gladbach also continued to have promising chances of their own though but continued to come up against a strong Manuel Riemann. However, substitute Lars Stindl finally headed in a stoppage-time rebound for perhaps his final Borussia home goal to wrap up a 2-0 victory.
TEAM NEWS
Daniel Farke made three changes to the side beaten in Stuttgart last week. Ramy Bensebaini and Manu Koné returned from injury in place of Luca Netz and Lars Stindl respectively, while the suspended Ko Itakura was replaced in central defence by Marvin Friedrich. Apart from the Japan international, the only absentee for the Borussia head coach was Marcus Thuram (adductor strain).
FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
8’: Weigl sends a long diagonal ball into the path of Ngoumou, who has a shot blocked behind. The corner isn’t given though as the linesman eventually raises his flag for offside instead.
9’: Asano breaks the last line of defence and forces Omlin into his first save of the game, although again, a delayed offside decision is given.
19’: The best chance so far. Hofmann does well to get into the box and although his initial ball across is blocked, he gets a second go. This time he lays it off for Neuhaus to shoot first time from just inside the area, and Riemann needs to get fingertips to it and push the ball over.
21’: Hofmann steals the ball off Soares after he is caught napping at the back, but the Bochum defender recovers just in time to deny Hoffi from shooting. What an opening.
22’: The visitors play the ball forward quickly and attack with the pace of Antwi-Adjei. He finds Asano, who is under pressure from Bensebaini as he shoots and can’t find the target.
27’: Lainer’s throw-in is brilliantly chested by Plea into the run of Koné. He has a little space to shoot on the edge of the box, but the ball trickles narrowly wide of the post.
32’: Ngoumou has a go from range, although his effort doesn’t have enough venom behind it to trouble Riemann.
35’: Borussia open the scoring! Bensebaini has time to swing in a cross from the left-hand side and no one has picked up Hofmann at the back post. The first-time finish on the volley has too much pace for Riemann to stop. 1-0 to Gladbach.
39’: Almost a second! Hofmann picks off a sloppy clearance from Riemann and crosses towards Ngoumou at the far post. He chests it down but has to lean back a little to shoot and the ball crashes against the crossbar.
42’: Bochum’s best opportunity. Masovic delivers a free-kick and Schlotterbeck is denied by Omlin from a tight angle.
SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
48’: Bochum counter through Asana, whose low cross is brilliantly intercepted by Lainer.
59’: A lucky escape for Borussia. Philipp Hofmann heads a shot against the crossbar, but the danger still isn’t over. The ball comes back into the box and it’s Hofmann again who has a chance to shoot, but his effort his smothered by the Gladbach defenders.
61’: Ngoumou cuts inside from the left and tries to curl a shot on goal, but it’s deflected behind for a corner.
77’: Ngoumou has acres of space to run into and looks to bend ball around Riemann and inside the far post. The keeper is on his toes and dives across to push the shot away.
84’: Bensebaini wins a header from a corner that Elvedi tries to redirect on target, but he can’t react in time to get a touch.
86’: Another opening from a set piece. The ball drops for Friedrich this time, who turns and unfortunately fires wide of goal.
89’: Stindl almost wraps it up as he pounces on a loose ball and tries to find the bottom corner. Riemann gets down well though and gets a hand to the shot.
90+1’: Now it’s all over! The captain does get his goal this time. Bensebaini’s header from a corner-kick hits the bar, but the Foals follow up and get the ball back into the mixer, where Stindl’s initial shot is blocked, although he climbs highest to head the rebound over the line. 2-0 to Gladbach.
90+4’: Lainer breaks through into the box on the right, albeit with the angle against him, and Riemann is able to stop the shot.
MATCH FACTS
Borussia: Omlin – Lainer (90+4’ Scally), Friedrich, Elvedi, Bensebaini – Weigl, Koné – Hofmann (90+2’ Kramer), Neuhaus (80’ Stindl), Ngoumou (80’ Netz) – Plea (80’ Wolf) // Unused subs: Olschowsky, Herrmann, Jantschke, Telalovic.
VfL Bochum: Riemann – Gamboa (46’ Janko), Ordets, Masovic (69’ Kunde Malong), Danilo Soares (46’ Stafylidis) – Schlotterbeck, Losilla (80’ Ganvoula) – Zoller (63’ Förster), Asano, Antwi-Adjei – Hofmann // Unused subs: Esser, Heintz, Osei-Tutu
Goals: 1-0 Hofmann (35’), 2-0 Stindl (90+1’)
Attendance: 53,797
Yellow cards: Hofmann, Plea - Stafylidis
Referee: Robert Schröder
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