Werkself review #BMGB04: ‘Not happy’ after draw at Borussia

Summary: Werkself respond before half-time

The visitors from Leverkusen dominated possession early on, but came up against a Borussia side, who were aggressive and resolute in challenges - and they punished a loss of possession by the Werkself in their own penalty area on ten minutes for Yannik Engelhardt to net the opener. A match with few chances ensued until Mönchengladbach's Philipp Sander deflected a long-range shot from Aleix Garcia into his own net shortly before the break to make it 1-1 at half-time (45'). The Black and Reds improved in the second half, but there were again few chances for either side, so the game ended all square at full time.

• Match report
• Match highlights
• Full match replay

Reaction: "Higher intensity" after changes in the second half

"Of course, we didn't show enough intensity in the first half and we lacked pace, especially in possession. That, combined with Gladbach's good positioning and possession play, made it difficult for us to find our shape today," said Kasper Hjulmand. The Dane went on to talk about the performance in the second 45: "That's why we made some changes for the second half and played 4-3-3 for the first time with me as coach. The intensity was then much higher, much better. The only thing missing was a finish and consistency in the final third. Hats off to Gladbach for a good performance, but it wasn't good enough for us. We're not happy tonight."

Former Borussia player Jonas Hofmann summed up the game as follows: "We couldn't get a grip in the first half and weren’t able to play a pressing game. The change after the break was much better, but we still didn't create enough chances. It’s a fair result overall."

• Post-match reaction 
• Post-match press conference

What the papers say: "Two completely different halves"

The Express wrote about a "hard-fought derby", the Rheinische Post about "two completely different halves". The RP continued: "While the hosts initially dominated, the Werkself found their way back into the game after the break, but missed out on victory despite an improved performance." The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, naming Arthur as the "best Leverkusen player" on the night, assessed the performance of the Hjulmand team in the second half as follows: "After the break, Bayer increasingly set the tone, but tried in vain to create scoring chances in a game that was not quite top-class." The kicker calls this top match a "hard-fought encounter", that ended with “a deserved point for both teams."

Personnel: Garcia attracts the ball

One of Leverkusen's most eye-catching players was Aleix Garcia. The midfielder had by far the most touches of the ball of any player on the pitch (130) and he also had the best pass completion stats with over 97 per cent. His shot on 45 minutes led to the equaliser. However, the ambitious Spaniard was not happy afterwards, as he explained to Werkself TV: "The goal we conceded was due to a mistake by me, and overall we lacked intensity as a team in the first half. It was much better after the break, but we missed our chances. That's why we didn't deserve anything more than a draw today."

Stats: Possession for the Werkself, duels won for Borussia

Over 60 per cent possession for Bayer 04 and more duels won by Borussia (53 per cent) accurately reflected long stretches of this match. In terms of shots on goal, the two teams were evenly matched: The Foals had nine attempts and the Werkself ten.

Next up: St. Pauli return on Saturday​​

Bayer 04 will be back in Bundesliga action at home to FC St. Pauli next Saturday, 14 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET), after a week of training. Tickets for the match are available HERE on open sale. That will be followed by the next Champions League fixture away to Olympiacos.