Opponent Analysis: Borussia Mönchengladbach

RBL have the Champions League in sight! The team want to pick up three more important points in the race for the Champions League places at home against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Ahead of the game, RBL lay in fourth place with 42 points, the same number as SC Freiburg (42) who are a place below. Eintracht Frankfurt are in sixth place (39 points).

Our coming opponent Borussia Mönchengladbach are still searching for some consistency. After 23 games, the Foals sit in tenth place with 30 points.

We take a look at our next opponents.

Opponent Analysis: Borussia Mönchengladbach

Form

This season, it is difficult to predict how a game against Borussia Mönchengladbach will go. The Foals have already managed to win against top teams a number of times, including 3-0 in the first game against RBL, but also 4-2 against Borussia Dortmund and also 3-2 against Bayern in mid-February.

But, Gladbach have also suffered a number of disappointing defeats against supposedly weaker opposition, such as a 2-1 loss in Bochum and the 4-1 defeat to Hertha BSC.

The team are lacking a bit of consistency, having not won two games in a row up until this point. Most recently, they drew 0-0 against Freiburg.

Team news

Key players

Manu Koné is still just 21 years old, but is an absolute constant in the Borussia Mönchengladbach central midfield. He has impressed with how secure he is on the ball, strong in the tackle and his dynamism. After the win against Bayern, head coach Daniel Farke described his contribution as a “world class performance.”

Captain Lars Stindl is still a central figure in attack at 34-years-old. He has 6 assists and 5 goals in the league so far.

The same goes for Germany international Jonas Hofmann, who can play across the frontline and has developed into a real pillar of Gladbach’s attacking play. You can also see that in Hofmann’s numbers, with the 30-year-old contributing 8 goals and 9 assists in 20 Bundesliga appearances so far this season.

Hofmann particularly likes to lay on assists for striker Marcus Thuram. The France international is Gladbach’s top-scorer this season with eleven goals and one of the most dangerous strikers in the Bundesliga.

Transfers

Borussia had a transfer in a key position this winter, with goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who has been one of the best and most consistent ‘keepers in the league since his move to Germany from Basel in 2014, joining Bayern.

Jonas Omlin was signed by Roland Virkus from HSC Montpellier as his replacement. Omlin is Swiss like his predecessor and at 1.90m, is seven centimetres taller than Sommer.

29-year-old Omlin is a solid ‘keeper, strong on the line and a good professional on and off the pitch. Omlin has kept one clean sheet so far in 7 Bundesliga appearances and conceded 15 goals.

100 goals for RBL!

Unavailable players

Borussia Mönchengladbach will be without one of their most important players, with left-back Ramy Bensebaini (5 goals this season) missing out through suspension having picked up a red card in the 0-0 draw against Freiburg.
Defender Tony Jantschke is missing due to a meniscus tear.
Midfielder Julian Weigl will miss out with a partial rupture of his syndesmosis ligament.
The latest RBL injury news can be found in our team news update.

Head coach

This is Daniel Farke’s first post as a Bundesliga head coach. The 46-year-old, who began his career with SV Lippstadt, joined the club having previously managed Borussia Dortmund II and then in England at Norwich City between 2019 and 2021, where he twice led them to promotion to the Premier League.

Farke was released by the Canaries during the 2021/22. His appointment at Borussia followed a short spell at FK Krasnodar. Farke joined the Foals last summer following the departure of Adi Hütter.

Farke‘s record as Gladbach coach:

Bundesliga: 8 wins, 6 draws, 9 losses
Goal record: 38:39 goals
Just one away win – 7 points in total from 11 away games
DFB-Pokal exit in the second round (2-1 defeat to SV Darmstadt 98)

Head-to-head

Direct comparison:

7 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses- 23:18 goals
Unbeaten at the Red Bull Arena (3 wins, 3 draws)
Timo Werner is RBL’s top-scorer against Gladbach (8 goals)
Highest win: 4-1 on 11th December 2021 (Goals: Gvardiol, Silva, Nkunku, Henrichs)

Last five meetings

17th September 2022 | Bundesliga matchday 7: Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-0 RB Leipzig
2nd May 2022 | Bundesliga matchday 32: Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1 RB Leipzig
11th December 2021 | Bundesliga matchday 15: RB Leipzig 4-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach
27th February 2021 | Bundesliga matchday 23: RB Leipzig 3-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach
31st October 2020 | Bundesliga matchday 6: Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-0 RB Leipzig