Borussia secure an important home win against Hertha

The Foals beat Hertha 2-0 at home on matchday 26. Alassane Plea opened the scoring from the penalty spot and Matthias Ginter sealed the win with a second-half header.

30,675 fans watched Gladbach dominate the first half at BORUSSIA-PARK. After Breel Embolo hit the post with Borussia’s best chance to date, the hosts took the lead thanks to an Alassane Plea penalty in the 24th minute. Gladbach continued to control the game and added a second via a Matthias Ginter header after 59 minutes played. Hertha pushed for a goal late on, but Borussia held on to secure all three points.

TEAM NEWS

Assistant coach Christian Peintinger, who was deputising for Adi Hütter (quarantine), made three changes to the team that lost 3-2 at Stuttgart last time out. Jordan Beyer, Luca Netz and Breel Embolo replaced Ramy Bensebaini, Christoph Kramer and Jonas Hofmann. Matthias Ginter, Nico Elvedi and Jordan Beyer made up the back-three in front of Yann Sommer in goal. Joe Scally and Luca Netz started down the wings, with Manu Koné and Florian Neuhaus in the centre of midfield. Peintinger went with Marcus Thuram, Alassane Plea and Breel Embolo up front.

Borussia were without Ramy Bensebaini (suspended), Jonas Hofmann (muscle strain) and Mamadou Doucouré (muscular problems). Captain Lars Stindl returned from a knee injury to take his place on the bench. Stefan Lainer and Marvin Friedrich, who had both been ill recently, were also among the substitutes, along with Tony Jantschke after he also recovered from a knee problem.

FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS

4’: The first good move for the Foals. Thuram’s cross into the box finds Embolo, but his volley is straight at Lotka in the Hertha goal.

10’: First good chance for Borussia. Selke’s header from Plea’s free-kick only falls to Embolo, whose volley from a tight angle crashes off the post.

14’: Thuram skins Gechter in the box, his shot on his left goes just over the bar.

24’: Kempf brings down Thuram in the box. After consulting VAR, referee Badstübner points to the spot. Plea steps up and buries it. 1-0 to Borussia.

29’: Plea comes close again, this time from a Netz corner. His header at the front post comes close to finding the back of the net, going just wide of the far post.

43’: Embolo starts a counter-attack in his own half and plays a ball through to Thuram. He puts his foot on the gas, though his shot is easy for Lotka to deal with.

45+1‘: A massive opportunity for 2-0. Plea plays a great ball through to Thuram. He falls to the ground as he looked to shoot and misses the chance to pull the trigger.

SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS

48’: Thuram feeds Plea on the break, his shot is blocked after space opened up for him.

54’: Hertha’s first notable chance. Kempf rises highest from a Serdar corner, Sommer is on hand to tip it over the bar.

59’: Thuram’s cross finds Scally in the box. Lotka denies the American from close range.

59’: Borussia extend their lead. Netz’s corner finds Ginter and he heads in powerfully. 2-0 to Gladbach.

77’: A let-off! Ekkelenkamp, who has just come on for Hertha, curls one off the bar on his left.

80’: Another Hertha attempt from distance. Serdar’s strike goes well wide.

90’+3: The final shot of the game, by Hertha’s Richter from 25 yards out, goes narrowly wide.

MATCH FACTS

Borussia: Sommer – Ginter, Elvedi, Beyer – Scally, Netz (77’ Lainer) – Koné, Neuhaus – Thuram (89’ Stindl), Plea (65’ Kramer) –Embolo // Unused subs: Sippel, Friedrich, Jantschke, Bénes, Herrmann, Noß

Hertha: Lotka – Gechter, Stark, Kempf – Pekarik (60’ Kade), Plattenhardt, Tousart, Ascacibar (46’ Serdar), Darida (75’ Ekkelenkamp) – Selke (75’ Richter), Belfodil

Goals: 1-0 Plea (24’, pen), 2-0 Ginter (59’)

Attendance: 30,675

Yellow cards: Ginter, Scally, Thuram

Referee: Florian Badstübner (Windsbach)