Head coach Xabi Alonso send out his team in a 3-4-3 formation with Lukas Hradecky in goal as usual. The Spanish coach opted for Odilon Kossounou, Edmond Tapsoba and Piero Hincapie in defence, Robert Andrich and Exequiel Palacios began in midfield alongside wing backs Jeremie Frimpong and Mitchel Bakker, with Moussa Diaby, Adam Hlozek plus Amine Adli up front at the kick-off.
Both teams made a cautious start to the first competitive match of the new calendar year. The Foals had more possession in the first 15 minutes. And the first chances fell to the hosts through Manu Koné (9’) and Alassane Plea (10’) plus a header from Julian Weigl (11’). However, the team under head coach Daniel Farke lacked accuracy with the final ball.
It was Leverkusen who were able to convert from their first dangerous attack on 21 minutes: A solo run from Diaby ended with the ball with Hlozek in the penalty area. The Czech shot on the turn and the ball hit the inside of the left post and bounced back leaving Bakker with a tap-in for a 1-0 lead. It was the second goal of the season for the Dutchman.
The Black and Reds increasingly gained a foothold in the game and went on to create further chances: Six minutes later, Frimpong was on the verge of doubling the lead but he was foiled by the new Mönchengladbach keeper Jonas Omlin. Adli made an impressive run on 35 minutes penetrating the opposition defence to the byline but his cross into the box failed to find a teammate.
The Black and Red desire to get forwards was successful again in the final five minutes before the half-time break: After winning the ball in his own half, Diaby raced down the left and crossed to teammate Frimpong who put the ball in the back of the net (42') – almost 2-0 but referee Harm Osmers and his fellow officials rightly ruled the strike out for offside.
It was a different story a minute later. The situation again came from winning possession in their own half. Adli was sent through and the Frenchman won the foot race against Borussia's Nico Elvedi to double the lead for the Werkself. That was the scoreline at half-time.
After the restart it was the Farke team who initially posed more of a threat. Elvedi had the chance to pull a goal back with a header from a corner on 55 minutes and Plea tried a long-range effort on 62 minutes and followed it up but keeper Hradecky was in the right spot to make the saves.
With 67 minutes on the clock, it was the visitors who celebrated again: Three minutes after coming off the bench, Nadiem Amiri played a one-two with Adli for his first chance on goal – and he was successful. The Werkself number 11 cut in from the left and hit a low shot into the bottom left corner to give the Werkself a 3-0 lead.
The 53,336 spectators at Borussia Park witnessed a frenetic end of the game: Lars Stindl scored to make it 3-1 on 82 minutes from a diagonal ball from teammate Hannes Wolf and with the help of the inside of the post. Again in added time, the Foals captain hit an impressive shot from 18 yards out into the top right corner to make the scoreline 3-2 (90+3'). There were no more goals and after 95 minutes referee Osmers blew the final whistle. The 3-2 away win sees the Werkself pick up the first three points in 2023 and marks the fourth league win in succession.
The Werkself are in action again on Wednesday 25 January with the first Bundesliga home match of the new calendar year – the Alonso team entertain VfL Bochum. The kick-off at the BayArena is at 20.30 CET. That is followed by another home game four days later with a 17.30 CET kick-off against Borussia Dortmund.
Match stats:
Borussia Mönchengladbach: Omlin – Lainer (Scally 56’), Itakura, Elvedi, Bensebaini – Kramer (Stindl 56’), Weigl, Koné (Herrmann 76’) – Hofmann (Neuhaus 76’), Plea, N'Goumou (Wolf 56’)
Bayer 04: Hradecky – Kossounou (Tah 74’), Tapsoba, Hincapie – Frimpong (Sinkgraven 90+2’), Andrich, Palacios, Bakker – Diaby (Wirtz 74’), Hlozek (Amiri 64’), Adli (Hudson-Odoi 74’)
Goals: 1-0 Bakker (21’), 2-0 Adli (43’), 3-0 Amiri (67’), 3-1 Stindl (82’), 3-2 Stindl (90 +3’)
Booked: Koné, Weigl, Stindl – Sinkgraven, Bakker
Referee: Harm Osmers (Hannover)
Attendance: 53,336 at Borussia Park
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