Head coach Xabi Alonso fielded exactly the same line-up at Borussia Park as he did in the 3-2 win against RB Leipzig that brought a winning start to the 60th Bundesliga season. Defender Josip Stanisic, signed last weekend from Bayern Munich, was in the matchday squad for the first time. Jonas Hofmann, who joined Bayer 04 from Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer, received an official farewell on the pitch before kick-off from his former club. Victor Boniface had the first shot on the Gladbach goal but his effort was turned away for a corner (9’). The Nigerian rounded off an excellent move with 29 passes to open the scoring: Granit Xhaka chipped the ball into the penalty area for Alejandro Grimaldo to head back across goal for Boniface to power the ball into the net at the near post to make it 1-0 (18'). Xhaka then hit a tremendous volley into the net off the inside of the post for the apparent second goal but it was ruled out due to Jonathan Tah being offside in the build-up (21').
Leverkusen dominated the game and created further chances with efforts from Exequiel Palacios (29’) and Florian Wirtz (30’/33’). Boniface was on the verge of scoring his second goal but he stroked the ball just passed the post (39'). Gladbach only had one real effort on goal in the first half with Tomas Cvancara failing to convert from a fast counter-attack (41'). At the other end, Boniface and Wirtz failed to fully exploit a good opening (43'). Just before half-time, the Gladbach keeper Jonas Omlin first kept out a Hofmann effort and then saved the follow-up shot from Boniface (45+2'). The deserved second goal did come before the break with a practised move: Xhaka picked out Hofmann and his volleyed cross into the box was volleyed into the back of the net by Tah to make it 2-0 (45+5'). That was the second goal of the season for the central defender.
An energetic run from Florian Wirtz from the halfway line led to the third goal when the Germany international skilfully played the ball through to Boniface who beat Marvin Friedrich to slot the ball home to make it 3-0 to Leverkusen (53'). Omlin turned a placed shot from Hofmann round the post (56'). Lukas Hradecky pulled off a brilliant save to keep out a header from Ko Itakura on 68 minutes. Robert Andrich and Arthur replaced Palacios and Frimpong (70') and that was followed soon afterwards by the introduction of Stanisic and Adam Hlozek for Odilon Kossounou and Hofmann (81').
Wirtz, who put in a huge shift, put Hlozek through in a one-on-one with Omlin but the Gladbach keeper made the save (84'). Gustavo Puerta then made his Bundesliga debut with the Colombian replacing the double goalscorer Boniface (88'). The game at Borussia Park ended with the convincing Werkself picking up three more points.
The third matchday in the Bundesliga sees the Werkself at home to newcomers SV Darmstadt 98 on Saturday 2 September. The match at the BayArena kicks off at 15.30 CEST.
Match stats:
Borussia Mönchengladbach: Omlin – Friedrich, Itakura (Ullrich 88’), Wöber – Honorat (Borges Sanches 79’), Weigl, Neuhaus (Reitz 67’), Scally – Ngoumou (Hack 67’), Plea – Cvancara (Ranos 79’)
Bayer 04: Hradecky – Kossounou (Stanisic 81’), Tah, Tapsoba – Frimpong (Arthur 70’), Palacios (Andrich 70’), Xhaka, Grimaldo – Hofmann (Hlozek 81’), Wirtz – Boniface (Puerta 88’)
Goals: 0-1 Boniface (18’), 0-2 Tah (45+5’), 0-3 Boniface (53’)
Booked: Neuhaus, Itakura – Boniface, Frimpong, Tah
Referee: Christian Dingert (Lebecksmühle)
Attendance: 54,042 at Borussia-Park (sold out)
“Year after year, this is an incredibly valuable gathering, both in terms of the content covered and the opportunity for mutual discussion,” stressed Bayer 04 goalkeeping coach David Thiel in his welcoming address at this year’s goalkeeping coaches’ meeting. This was the third time in four seasons that the event had been held at the BayArena. Organised by the German Football Association (DFB), the meeting brought together goalkeeping coaches from the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and the 3rd division from the west region. For the first time this year, goalkeeping coaches from the youth performance centres (NLZ) were also present. Bayer 04 fitness coach Markus Müller provided fascinating insights into the specific fitness training carried out with the Werkself’s goalkeepers.
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