Borussia held to a 2-2 draw by Werder

Matchday 25 in the Bundesliga was opened at BORUSSIA-PARK on Friday night, with Werder Bremen the visitors. The Foals led twice thanks to goals from Marcus Thuram and Florian Neuhaus, but Marvin Ducksch equalised each time to ensure a 2-2 draw.

Around 54,000 fans saw Gladbach enjoy the lion’s share of the chances and possession in the first half. The best opportunities fell to Marcus Thuram, but he was unable to take advantage on two occasions. His luck changed shortly after the restart though, as he fired low past Michael Zetterer to open the scoring. Moments came and went where Borussia could have doubled their lead, before Marvin Ducksch rounded the goalkeeper to level the scores in the 65th minute. Parity was only restored for eight minutes, however, as Florian Neuhaus buried a shot into the bottom corner to make it 2-1. The Foals couldn’t hold on though, with Niclas Füllkrug and Ducksch combining well, allowing the latter to curl in an 89th-minute equaliser.

TEAM NEWS

Daniel Farke made two changes to the side that was beaten 3-0 in Leipzig. Jonas Omlin was passed fit and returned between the sticks, with Tobias Sippel dropping to the bench. Lars Stindl was also preferred in attack to Alassane Plea.

Ramy Bensebaini remained unavailable as he served the second game of his two-match suspension, with Julian Weigl (partial syndesmosis rupture) and Tony Jantschke (ruptured meniscus) also still sidelined through injury.

FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS

7’: Hofmann swings in a free-kick towards the back post. It clears the Werder defenders and is turned back towards goal by the outstretched leg of Elvedi, but he can’t keep the ball down.

8’: Thuram gets to the byline and pulls the ball back into the box where Stindl is in space. The ball bobbles just as he’s about to hit it and he ends up firing high over the target.

22’: A huge chance to take the lead. Hofmann is through down the right and has time to pick his head up and square the ball to Thuram six yards out, but Zetterer makes himself big and blocks the shot from point-blank range.

32’: Scally spots Stindl lurking on the edge of the box and picks him out. The captain opts to shoot first time though, and doesn’t get enough power behind his fairly central strike to trouble Zetterer.

40’: An important touch from Itakura crucially deflects a cross from Weiser away from Stage, who was poised to tap the ball in at the back post.

41’: A first save needed from Omlin. It’s fairly routine though as he parries away Füllkrug’s powerful shot from range.

42’: Itakura wins the ball from a Werder set-piece and drives up the field. His through-ball towards Thuram is cut out, but the Frenchman blocks the clearance and suddenly only has to direct the bouncing ball past the goalkeeper, but his artistic dinked attempt with the outside of his boot lands on the roof of the net.

SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS

49’: A deserved opener for Borussia! Hofmann wins the ball high up the pitch and plays Thuram in with a neat back-heel. A burst of pace from Tikus opens up the space to shoot from the edge of the box and he beats the goalkeeper with a low finish. 1-0!

55’: That could have been a quickfire double. A precise cross finds Hofmann in the box. He swings and misses at the first attempt, but the ball sticks at his feet. The second effort has the beating of Zetterer, only to be cleared off the line by Weiser.

61’: Another great ball from Hofmann puts Thuram beyond the backline. He aims for the bottom corner, but the toe of Zetterer is enough to push the ball wide.

65’: Equaliser out of nowhere. Borussia lose possession and Werder quickly send it forward into the run of Ducksch, who knocks it past Omlin and Itakura, and finishes into the empty net. 1-1.

69’: Borussia counter. Netz is able to find Stindl, although he can’t keep his shot down.

73’: Lead restored! Hofmann sets up Stindl, who is denied by Zetterer, but the ball is only cleared as far as Neuhaus 20 yards out, and his powerful strike finds a gap through the green shirts and nestles in the bottom corner. 2-1.

78’: Another good-looking counter and Plea’s cross to the supporting Hofmann in the box looks destined to be tucked away, but Buchanan nicks the ball away with some brilliant last-ditch defending.

89’: A late blow as Bremen equalise with a well worked goal. Ducksch heads a long diagonal ball down to Füllkrug, who quickly lays it off for his strike partner to curl a low shot into the far corner out of Omlin’s reach. 2-2.

MATCH FACTS

Borussia: Omlin – Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Netz – Kramer, Koné – Hofmann, Neuhaus, Stindl (84’ Wolf) – Thuram (76’ Plea) // Unused subs: Sippel, Friedrich, Herrmann, Lainer, Ngoumou, Fraulo, Telalovic

Bremen: Zetterer – Pieper, Stark, Chiarodia (63’ Buchanan) – Weiser, Gruev (82’ Philipp), Jung, Schmidt (63’ Schmid), Stage (87’ Dinkci) – Füllkrug, Ducksch

Goals: 1-0 Thuram (48’), 1-1 Ducksch (65’), 2-1 Neuhaus (73’), 2-2 Ducksch (88’)

Attendance: 54,042 (sold out)

Yellow cards: Neuhaus – Weiser

Referee: Tobias Reichel