Friday night’s away game at 1. FSV Mainz 05 to open matchday 22 in the Bundesliga ended in a disappointing 4-0 defeat for Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The Foals were looking to kick on from their win over Bayern, however they were up against a Mainz side finding fine form during the Carnival season. Gladbach started well and looked closest to opening the scoring, although it was the Zerofivers who eventually drew first blood in the 25th minute with their only real attack to that point, Jae-sung Lee heading home from a cross to make it 1-0 at the break. Hopes of a second-half rally were dealt an early setback when Marcus Ingvartsen buried a rebound just four minutes after the restart. A golden chance to get back into the game went begging for the Foals with around 20 minutes to go when Robin Zentner saved from Marcus Thuram, and they were made to rue it moments later as Ludovic Ajorque finished from a tight angle to make it three. Nelson Weiper then added a fourth with the last touch of the game to compound a disappointing away day for the Foals.
TEAM NEWS
Daniel Farke opted to trust the same players that started last weekend’s win over Bayern München. Jonas Omlin continued in goal, the back-four featured Stefan Lainer, Ko Itakura, Nico Elvedi and Ramy Bensebaini, Manu Koné and Christoph Kramer partnered up in holding midfield, while Jonas Hofmann, Lars Stindl and Hannes Wolf supported lone striker Alassane Plea.
The coach was without Tony Jantschke (knee), Julian Weigl (ankle) and Jan Olschowsky (thumb) for the trip to Mainz.
FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
9’: The first shot of the match comes from Stindl, although he doesn’t make the sweetest of contacts and drags the ball wide of goal.
19’: What a chance! Wolf plays a neat one-two with Lainer down the right to send his fellow Austrian in behind. The pull-back to the top of the box is collected by an unmarked Koné, but Hanche-Olsen throws himself in front of the shot to make a crucial block for Mainz.
21’: A free kick is floated into the box by Hofmann and Elvedi is just stretching a little too much to be able to direct a volley towards goal.
25’: Mainz take the lead with their first chance. Da Costa’s cross from the right is met by the late run and jump of Lee, who heads across goal and out of Omlin’s reach. 1-0.
31’: Omlin picked up a thigh injury during Mainz’s goal and has to be replaced between the sticks by Sippel.
34’: Let-off. Ajorque pounces on a loose ball on the edge of the box, but rushes his shot and fires over.
45+3’: Some good combination football from Borussia to work the ball through the defence and find Koné in a good shooting position. His first-time effort isn’t on target though.
SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS
49’: Mainz double their lead. Ajourque’s low shot is parried by Sippel, but Ingvartsen is quickest to it and buries the rebound into the roof of the net. 2-0.
52’: Stindl plays in Wolf, who drives through the defence and gets a shot away that is too central to really trouble the keeper.
65’: Mainz counter and Kohr has space to shoot, but it’s lacking power and Sippel can gather the ball.
69’: That should be one back. Thuram collects a ball over the top and is in one against one with Zentner, but the Mainz goalie is able to block the shot with his foot.
72’: Mainz score down the other end. Ajorque is slipped in and finishes across Sippel to find the bottom corner. 3-0.
88’: A corner is cleared as far as Barkok, whose driven follow-up flies narrowly wide of the post.
90+3’: Aaron curls a cross into the box and substitute Weiper powers a header into the back of the net. 4-0.
MATCH FACTS
Borussia: Omlin (31’ Sippel) – Lainer (79’ Scally), Itakura, Elvedi, Bensebaini – Kramer, Koné – Hofmann, Stindl (79’ Neuhaus), Wolf (66’ Thuram) – Plea (79’ Ngoumou) // Unused subs: Friedrich, Herrmann, Netz, Fraulo.
Mainz: Zentner – Hanche-Olsen (57’ Hack), Bell, Fernandes – da Costa, Barreiro, Kohr, Caci (85’ Aaron) – Lee (74’ Barkok), Ajorque (85’ Weiper), Ingvartsen
Goals: 1-0 Lee (25’), 2-0 Ingvartsen (49’), 3-0 Ajorque (72’), 4-0 Weiper (90+3’)
Attendance: 32,500
Yellow cards: Caci, Hanche-Olsen / Stindl, Plea, Koné
Referee: Robert Hartmann (Wangen)
