Borussia beat VfL Bochum 5-2 at home on Matchday 23 of the Bundesliga. Nathan Ngoumou, Julian Weigl, Rocco Reitz, Jordan and Franck Honorat all found the net for the Foals.
The game in front of around 53,200 spectators at BORUSSIA-PARK began with a scare for the Foals. Bernardo scrambled the ball over the line after a corner in the fourth minute, but the goal didn’t count as the ball had hit a Bochum arm. Following this, Gladbach turned the game more and more in their favour, and took the lead after half an hour through Nathan Ngoumou. Shortly after, Julian Weigl made it 2-0 from the penalty spot. Florian Neuhaus looked to have made it 3-0 just before the break, but referee Sven Jablonski adjudged that there was a foul by Jordan in the build-up after reviewing VAR footage.
After half time, the visitors started the better and had a succession of shots on goal without really threatening. The Foals on their side defended strongly. As the game went on in the second half, Borussia improved and had more dangerous attacks. Substitute Rocco Reitz got on the end of one of these to make it 3-0 in the 72nd minute. The guests reduced the deficit through Philipp Hofmann soon after, but Borussia restored their three-goal advantage with Jordan’s header just three minutes later. The visitors did not give up though and got another one back through Schlotterbeck. The Foals would have the final word however. In the sixth minute of injury time, substitute Franck Honorat wrapped the scoring up at 5-2.
TEAM NEWS
Head coach Gerardo Seoane made four changes to his starting eleven from the 2-0 defeat to RB Leipzig. Stefan Lainer, Marvin Friedrich, Florian Neuhaus and Nathan Ngoumou came in for the suspended Nico Elvedi and Ko Itakura, the unwell Luca Netz and Rocco Reitz respectively. Lainer, Friedrich, Max Wöber and Joe Scally therefore made up the backline in front of goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas. Julian Weigl, Manu Koné and Neuhaus were the midfield, while Ngoumou, Robin Hack and Jordan started in attack.
Borussia were missing Alassane Plea (bruised foot), Tomáš Čvančara (ankle ligament tear), Jonas Omlin (rehab) and Luca Netz (illness). Nico Elvedi and Ko Itakura were suspended.
FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS
4’: Almost a nightmare start for the Foals. Following a corner, Bernardo picks up the ball and prods it past Nicolas to give Bochum the lead... or so it seems. A VAR check reveals the ball made contact with the Brazilian’s arm and the goal is disallowed as a result.
6’: Gladbach go up the other end of the pitch quickly and Hack flicks on a cross from Lainer on to Jordan. Borussia’s number 13 heads goalwards, but his effort hits the bar.
28’: GOAL FOR GLADBACH!!! Hack’s corner is flicked on at the near post and then again by Jordan in the middle. Ngoumou is waiting at the back post to put the Foals 1-0 up.
32’: Koné is tripped by Ordets while trying to follow up on an initial shot and the referee points to the spot. Captain Weigl steps up and converts to make it 2-0 to Gladbach!
44’: Neuhaus is through on goal after a one-two with Jordan and fires home to make it 3-0. However, the goal is chalked off due to Jordan pulling Ordets’ shirt after giving the ball to Gladbach’s number 10.
SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS
56’: Neuhaus finds some space down the left-hand side and whips a ball into the box. Jordan brings it down and finds himself in the perfect position to get our third, but he doesn’t strike it well enough and his effort flies wide of the post.
72’: What a goal! Ngoumou puts a cross in towards Rocco Reitz, who just about manages to get his head on it to give Gladbach a three-goal lead!
75’: There’s chaos in the Borussia box after an Asano cross. The ball eventually ends up at Hofmann’s feet, and Bochum’s number 33 pokes it home from close range to make it 3-1.
78’: Weigl switches it to substitute Honorat, who manages to find Jordan in the box. The American heads home to make it 4-1 and restore our three-goal advantage.
88’: Berro dinks the ball towards Schlotterbeck at the back post, who gets the visitors’ second by heading it past Nicolas.
90+6’: After a corner, the ball lands at the feet of Honorat, who smashes it into the top-right corner to make it 5-2 to the Foals.
STATISTICS
Borussia: Nicolas, Lainer (Jantschke 89’), Friedrich, Wöber, Scally, Weigl, Koné, Neuhaus (Reitz 67’), Hack (Honorat 67’), Ngoumou (Kramer 82’), Jordan (Herrmann 89’) // Unused substitutes: Olschowsky, Chiarodia, Ranos, Fukuda
Bochum: Riemann, Gamboa (Förster 58’), Ordets, Schlotterbeck, Bernardo, Masovic (Hofmann 69’), Bero, Stöger, Asano, Kwarteng (Daschner 58’), Broschinski (Paciencia 69’.) // Unused substitutes: Luthe, Passlack, Elezi, Wittek, Loosli.
Goals: 1-0 Ngoumou (28’), 2-0 Weigl (35’ (pen)), 3-0 Reitz (72’), 3-1 Hofmann (75’), 4-1 Jordan (78’.), 4-2 Schlotterbeck (88’), 5-2 Honorat (90+6’)
Yellow cards: Lainer, Neuhaus / Masovic, Riemann, Stöger, Schlotterbeck
Attendance: 53,196
Referee: Sven Jablonski (Bremen)
