The Foals successfully began the 2021/22 season with a 1-0 win away at 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Captain Lars Stindl scored the only goal of the game.
After the hosts started well, Gladbach took the lead with their first attack of the game. Patrick Herrmann’s cross to the back post was met by Lars Stindl, who headed home the Foals’ first competitive goal of the new season (11’). At the other end, Yann Sommer parried a powerful drive by Jean Zimmer (28’). It took Hütter’s men until the end of the first half to really gain control. The first of three good chances fell to Hannes Wolf, whose low shot just missed the far post (37’). Four minutes later, Stefan Lainer flicked a Bénes corner towards goal from the front post, but this again narrowly drifted wide (41’). Borussia came even closer to adding a second through Patrick Herrmann. From a great Joe Scally diagonal ball, he hit the outside of the post from a tight angle (44’). The final notable moment of the first period belonged to Lászlo Bénes. The Slovakian’s bending effort ended up on the roof of the net from range (45’).
The second half saw fewer chances, although the game was more open and end-to-end. Mike Wunderlich had the first opportunity, although his central shot didn’t trouble Yann Sommer (54’). Just 60 seconds later, Stindl tested out Raab, who denied him well and Bénes couldn’t follow up with the rebound. A number of stoppages and substitutions somewhat disrupted the flow of the second 45 minutes at the ‘Betze’. Despite Kaiserslautern pushing hard, they didn’t carve out any clear-cut chances to trouble Sommer late on. Instead, Borussia very nearly found a second. Stindl was free on the break, however Raab wasn’t beaten on this occasion, and so it ended 1-0 to the Foals.
TEAM NEWS
In his first game in charge, Adi Hütter handed a competitive debut to youngster Joe Scally. Yann Sommer started in goal after his EURO 2020 heroics, with Stefan Lainer, Matthias Ginter and Nico Elvedi and Scally making up the back four. Christoph Kramer partnered Florian Neuhaus in central midfield, as Patrick Herrmann, Hannes Wolf and László Bénes played further forward, the latter having returned from his loan spell at FC Augsburg. Lars Stindl captained the side up front.
STATISTICS
Kaiserslautern: Raab – Tomiak, Kraus (46' Niehues), Götze (85' Gibs) – Zimmer, Klingenburg (63' Kleinsorge), Senger, Zuck, Redondo (85' Kiprit), Wunderlich – Hanslik (63' Sessa)
Borussia: Sommer – Lainer, Ginter, Elvedi, Scally – Kramer, Neuhaus – Herrmann (80' Bennetts), Wolf, Bénes (73' Plea) – Stindl (92' Hofmann) // Bench: Sippel, Jantschke, Netz, Noß, Müsel
Goal: 0-1 Stindl (11')
Attendance: 5,000
Yellow cards: Klingenburg, Tomiak, Niehues, Kleinsorge - Stindl, Scally
Referee: Harm Osmers (Hannover)
