Borussia Monchengladbach

Benched again, Borussia Monchengladbach wunderkind Branimir Hrgota is lamenting the narrow window of opportunity he squandered.

He was only given a run because of deep-lying forward Max Kruse's pelvic problem, heightening Hrgota's desperation to produce. 

Photobomb im Krankenhaus! Gladbach-Star Max Kruse erfolgreich operiert - Harnleiter-Stein raus #Läuft pic.twitter.com/lXh9wz6TBp

— Henning Feindt (@Karlo_Kolumna) August 7, 2014

Nation	Position	Age	Height	Weight
Sweden	CF	21	6'1"	163 lbs

In Hrgota's two Bundesliga starts this season, a 1-1 draw against Stuttgart and a 0-0 draw against Freiburg, he went 0-4 in goals-shots taken. 

A Dare to Zlatan Malanda against Stuttgart amplified Hrgota's problems. 

Gladbach central midfielder Havard Nordtveit dragged Stuttgart goalkeeper Sven Ulreich out with a whipped cross.

In front of goal, Hrgota just needed to trap the ball and finish, like against FK Sarajevo and when he used to imitate Gunnar Nordahl for Jonkopings Sodra (28 goals in 39 games).

Instead of being Nordahl-like, Hrgota clumsily sliced the ball wide.

Afflicted with nausea, Hrgota held his head in his hands, collapsed onto his knees and essentially said: "Kruse, you can have back the starting position."

"I think I've proved my worth," Kruse said, per Christopher Mayer-Lodge at the Bundesliga's official website. "The coach [Lucien Favre] knows what I'm about."

Re-instated to the starting XI against Schalke, the Kruse-Raffael show resumed as both scored and assisted in a 4-1 win. 

First goal of the 2014/15 #Bundesliga season for @borussia_en's Max Kruse #BMGS04 pic.twitter.com/JiREB42nnn

— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) September 13, 2014

First goal of the 2014/15 #Bundesliga season for @borussia_en's Raffael #BMGS04 pic.twitter.com/XyPsYym6Uc

— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) September 13, 2014

A year and four months ago, Hrgota dreamed of greatness after scoring a hat-trick in Gladbach's 4-2 win over Mainz—including a bold chip—while club record fee-holder Luuk de Jong sat on the bench.

However, Raphael Honigstein at The Guardian ominously pointed out:

"I congratulate the scout who has discovered this player [Hrgota]," said Favre after the final whistle, but the Swiss coach also tried to downplay the hype.

Statistics are on his side, in that respect: Hrgota wasn't the first to score three times in Germany's top flight on his debut, but the seventh.

The full list, published by Kicker magazine on Monday, serves as a cautious reminder that greatness doesn't always follow such auspicious beginnings.

Icons (Hermann Ohlicher, Olaf Marschall) rub shoulders with one-hit wonders (Jurgen Degen, Adhemar, Martin Fenin) and 1860 Munich's Engelbert Kraus, who sits somewhere in between.

The main barrier to Hrgota's success is the same one De Jong faced: the formation. 

De Jong was a signing made by Gladbach's front office without Favre's blessings. 

"Our head coach Lucien Favre has said from the start he didn't have 100 percent confidence in De Jong," Gladbach board member Hans Meyer said, per Sky Sports. "But I think we'll find a solution."

Irked by the weight of De Jong's €12/£9.6 million fee, Favre was determined to play two deep-lying forwards, instead of a centre-forward/deep-lying forward combination in the "2" of the 4-4-2.

The two deep-lying forwards, Kruse and Raffael, combined for 27 goals and 16 assists in the Bundesliga last season.  

Favre's Machiavellianism isolated De Jong.

"The coach [Favre] did not give me the impression he had faith in me," De Jong said, per Kristan Heneage at Sky Sports. "He just did not talk to me that much."

Gladbach relented to Favre by selling De Jong to PSV Eindhoven for €5.5/£4.4 million at a €6.5/£5.2 million loss.

Luuk de Jong wil belangrijk zijn voor PSV in de strijd om het kampioenschap! Mis niets: https://t.co/6RdPsTDtUt #psv pic.twitter.com/fEEDzjBZc8

— PSV (@PSV) July 15, 2014

512 - Luuk de Jong has scored his first league goal in 512 days. Relief.

— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) August 31, 2014

Favre wants forwards who drop deep, demand the ball, take on opposing players and function as a dual-threat in scoring and creating. 

Hrgota has scoring upside as evident with a well-taken finish against Augsburg and a solo goal against Hoffenheim. 

Though, Hrgota has yet to develop into a facilitator.

In three seasons and counting, he has one assist from 381 passes in league play.

If Favre persists with his two-pronged deep-lying forward combination, Hrgota will exit stage left like De Jong (permanent) and Peniel Mlapa (temporary; on loan at Nurnberg).

GOAL GOAL GOAL LUUK DE JONG! pic.twitter.com/vov3gSyD4r

— PSV (@PSV) September 13, 2014

GOAL!

67' Peniel Mlapa, on loan from Borussia Mönchengladbach, seals the points for 1. FC Nürnberg at Union Berlin. 3-0 now.#FCUFCN

— Bundesliga Live (@BL_Live_EN) August 29, 2014

Elias Kachunga's recent success at SC Paderborn 07 proves there is life after failing to make it at Gladbach. 

'We can compete'@SCPaderborn07 record-maker Elias Kachunga says they can cope at top levelhttp://t.co/2AvjxaeUSs pic.twitter.com/XauonFJFBL

— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) August 24, 2014

Hrgota is an incredibly gifted centre-forward and should be playing week in, week out.

He must consider a January or summer transfer window exit if his playing minutes continue to diminish under Favre. 

https://twitter.com/mixedknuts/status/509712634753867777

@allanjianga

+allanjiang

Statistics via WhoScored 

It may come as a shock to all but the most avid Teutophiles that when the Bundesliga entered the winter break, the team ensconced in third place was not one of their four Champions League contestants.

Bayern Munich, of course, are clear at the top, and Bayer Leverkusen have recovered from a slow start to lead the chasing pack but only four points back are Borussia Monchengladbach.

The Foals stunned Germany by claiming a place in Europe’s most distinguished competition in 2012.

Manager Lucien Favre built his team around the rising star of Marco Reus.

Appointed to a struggling Monchengladbach in February of 2011, Favre put his faith in Reus, who responded by scoring the decisive goal in the relegation playoff victory against Bochum. The following season, his goals carried them beyond expectations, but when he returned to his boyhood club (the double-winning Borussia Dortmund), they fell back to reality as they failed to even progress through the qualifying round when they were eliminated by Dynamo Kiev.

Initial attempts to rebuild the team stalled.

Despite the funds garnered from the sale of Reus and European qualification, Monchengladbach slumped to eighth.

The purchases of youth internationals Luuk De Jong and Peniel Mlapa failed to adequately replace Reus’ strike power. Swiss international Granit Xhaka, another promising youngster, was a fine addition but unable to drive the team to repeat its 2012 heroics.

Last summer, Favre changed tack in the transfer market and struck gold.

His two signings, the 28-year-old Raffael, £4.4m from Dynamo Kiev, and 25-year-old Max Kruse, £2M from Freiburg, brought maturity and experience that have lifted them above the floundering Dortmund. Combined, they cost less than half of the fee outlayed on De Jong alone but have registered 16 league goals already.

The pair have been the catalyst to Monchengladbach’s resurgence.

Kruse scored in each of his first four appearances at Borussia Park. They won them all.

Raffael’s start has been even more impressive.

After scoring in a 4-1 win over Werder Bremen, he has added to his tally in seven matches with Monchengladbach winning all but one. His brilliant individual effort against former club Schalke alone virtually justified his fee. The pair have been so prolific that only last season’s Champions League finalists have scored more goals than Monchengladbach’s 35.

Favre’s men couldn’t have had a more difficult start as the season’s first sacrifice on the altar of Allianz Arena, and after nine games, they were struggling with only four wins.

As the new signings found their feet and, more often than not, the back of the net, they sprinted towards the winter break with six consecutive wins.

That run stalled with back-to-back draws to end 2013, but crucially, they leapfrogged Dortmund on the final round of the year.

The experience of the new signings has helped Favre’s younger players to develop.

Raffael, a true number 10, has reduced the pressure on Xhaka, allowing the 21-year-old to play in a deeper role and utilise his combative skills as much as his creative ones.

Kruse, taking the lead strike role, has reduced De Jong to an impact substitute, although the Dutchman seems disgruntled in that role. Even Mlapa hit an equaliser in a friendly against Besiktas during the winter break.  

It remains to be seen whether the nascent Foals can sustain their impressive season, but with their renewed strength in depth, blossoming strike partnership and maturing squad, they seem well placed.

They are part of a top seven in the Bundesliga that have already begun to move clear, and so Lucien Favre can be confident of challenging for a place in next season’s European competitions.

Brisbane Roar's 19-year-old Australian super sub Kwame Yeboah could be destined for failure by joining German club Borussia Monchengladbach, one of the four Bundesliga teams on course to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League.

"[Gladbach have] been scouting [Yeboah] for a few weeks and they know a talent when they see one," Roar manager Mike Mulvey said, via Marco Monteverde at The Courier-Mail. "They wanted him for the final half of this season, and I'm not going to argue with them about what's good for Kwame."

Sitting on the bench for Gladbach II in the Regionalliga West (German fourth division) is not good for Yeboah, who clearly has not been following the Luuk de Jong saga.

De Jong, Gladbach's record €15 ($23.2) million signing, has been kicked to the curb by manager Lucien Favre.

There is no way back for de Jong, a two-footed No. 9 Dutch international with a knack for spectacular goals, as Favre's tactics go against de Jong's playing style.

Gladbach play a 4-4-2 with no conventional centre-forward. The "2" is comprised of Max Kruse and Raffael, two deep-lying forwards who drop into midfield to control the flow of the game.

Yeboah is lethal when he shoots (Just ask the Central Coast Mariners and Western Sydney Wanderers.), but can he play at Bundesliga level?

If he cannot, then he is stylistically opposed to what Favre sees in the "2" of a 4-4-2, as is the case with de Jong.

Who knows what Yeboah's management are thinking.

Maybe they see an opening on the wings, where Yeboah could be the long-term successor to 33-year-old Venezuelan international Juan Arango, one of the league's best showmen in recent memory. 

Yeboah's goal against the Wanderers demonstrated how dangerous he can be cutting in from the left and shooting with his right. 

In theory, he could replace Arango on the left and play as an inverted winger. 

Even if Yeboah doesn't break into the starting XI, won't he just carry on his impact sub role from Mulvey's Roar to Favre's Gladbach?

Unlikely. 

Generally speaking, two of Favre's three substitutions are attacking. 

Branimir Hrgota, who scored 28 goals in 39 games for Swedish second-division club Jonkopings Sodra, has been subbed in 87.5 percent of Gladbach's league games thus far. 

If de Jong leaves on loan in the January transfer window, his minutes off the bench will most likely be given to German youth international Amin Younes. 

The other substitution has been reserved for utility player Havard Nordtveit in the past three league games.

Yes, Yeboah will be training with international-standard players at Gladbach in world-class facilities, but how will his development progress if he isn't playing regular first-team football? 

Like fellow Australian Mathew Leckie, who didn't start a single Bundesliga game under Favre (made nine sub appearances in league play), Yeboah would have been better off signing for a modest club in the 2. Bundesliga.

Plunging into the deep end at Gladbach is an indication of how foolish fearless Yeboah is. 

Statistics via WhoScored, FFT Stats Zone, Squawka and Transfermarkt.

@allanjianga

+allanjiang

In a transfer market in which Gareth Bale is valued at around €100 million, it's hard to find bargains. But Gladbach made a real coup in early April when they confirmed the signing of Max Kruse from July 1. The attacker ended last season with 13 goals and 12 assists for Freiburg and Germany. And yet, due to an exceedingly modest release clause in his contract, he cost just €2.5 million.

Since joining Gladbach, Kruse has looked a complete natural in Lucien Favre's team. Although he may yet be a long-term replacement for 33-year-old winger Juan Arango, the Reinbek native has thus far fit in as a striker in a rather revolutionary system.

Kruse is a relatively small striker whose usual position is at the top of the Gladbach attack, but whose mobility allows him to draw defenders into other areas and open space for his teammates. He is flanked by Arango and Patrick Herrmann, with Raffael—strictly speaking, a classic playmaker—operating at almost the same forward depth.

Gladbach's formation could easily be interpreted as 4-4-2, but with two unorthodox strikers. It's a strange system, one that has left Bundesliga defenders hopelessly confused. And Kruse was just the player Favre needed to complete his free-flowing attack.

There were many other, higher-profile transfers this summer, but their slower adaptation only highlight Kruse's ability to have an instant impact. Bayern Munich spent a combined €62 million on Mario Goetze and Thiago Alcantara, but neither has settled yet and serious questions can be asked as to exactly where they can expect to fit into a lineup.

Dortmund also invested heavily this summer, with €13 million-man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan signing for a club-record €27.5 million fee. But although he's added a different type of quality to the BVB wing, the Gabon international has not exactly instigated a tactical revolution. And Mkhitaryan only began to find his form on Sunday.

Like Aubameyang at BVB, Leverkusen's Son Heung-Min has been a good addition but has not brought his club to the next level. And like Mkhitaryan, Schalke's Leon Goretzka is a player of enormous talent but one who will need some more time to adapt to the Bundesliga.

Kruse fits Favre's Gladbach like a glove, and the 25-year-old's influence is far beyond the two goals and two assists he's given: His arrival has coincided with a massive improvement in the club's attack.

Last season, Borussia were in the bottom half of the league table in terms of goals scored. After four games this season, they stand second in that category. Time will tell whether Gladbach's attacking form will remain, but for now they are outstanding—with much thanks to Kruse, the best €2.5 million spent in what has been a truly silly transfer season.

Earlier this week we were told that Germany is the tackling capital of European football.

Maybe so, but on Wednesday night, it was also the site of a lovely volleyed goal by Juan Arango.

Arango is a 32-year-old attacking midfielder who played with several clubs in the Americas before landing with Mallorca in 2004 and then Borussia Monchengladbach in 2009. On Wednesday, he scored the first goal as Gladbach won 2-0 at home to VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga.

But that doesn't do justice to Arango's goal. It would be more accurate to say Arango painted a lovely, volleyed piece of art on a tapestry of green grass.

Sound too grandiose for you? Check out the video and you might change your mind.

The clip appears above. It's our Set Piece Video of the Day for this Thursday. Enjoy.

As you can see, Arango positions himself under a long ball as it flutters into the left-hand side (from Gladbach's attacking perspective) of the box. With one smooth motion, he controls the ball and blasts it into the goal at the far post, leaving the keeper with absolutely no chance.

Then, he heads to the touchline and receives a celebratory shoe-shine from teammate Igor de Camargo. Do those Venezuelans know how to celebrate or what?

(h/t 101 Great Goals)

Follow @MikeCummings37

Highly sought-after winger David Wayne "Junior" Hoilett looks set to leave Blackburn Rovers to German side Borussia Monchengladbach on a Bosman.

Sky Sports' Graeme Baily on Twitter:

Blackburn forward Junior Hoillet looks set to join German side Borussia Monchengladbach on a four year deal. —@SkyGraemeBaily

This comes as a bit of a shock to English football fans considering he was scouted by some top-tier English club teams, but the Canadian's departure was foreseen, as Blackburn tumbled out of the Premier League and into the Championship after a dismal season under manager Steve Kean. 

The 22-year-old winger joins a German side that placed fourth in the Bundesliga, just four points (and five goals) shy of third place. Their position for Champions League football next season looks tempting as Blackburn will fight to gain entrance to the Premier League once more. 

He's not a stranger to German football, having played in Bundesliga 2 for two seasons (SC Paderborn 07 and St. Pauli, respectively). 

Hoilett played 34 games for the Rovers this season, scoring seven goals and recording five assists. 

In another clash at the top of the Bundesliga, Borussia Monchengladbach got the better of Bayern Munich by producing a supreme counter-attacking display, beating them 3-1.
Starting lineups:

 
Monchengladbach lined up in their usual 4-4-2, with two deep banks of four. Mike Hanke played the target man role to Marco Reus's wing creative role. The Monchengladbach full-backs stayed rather static throughout the game, and stayed in a clear bank of four.

The midfield four were also relatively static. Thomas Neustädter and Havard Nordtveit played defensive roles, Nordtveit being the more adventurous of the two. The wingers, Juan Arango and Patrick Herrmann, did less defensive work than their central midfield counterparts.

However, Herrmann's contribution in that area was considerably significant as he won many tackles. He also had a license to go forward and exploit the gap made by Phillip Lahm, who was attacking the Monchengladbach defense.

Arango was lazier defensively, but was Monchengladbach's main creative force, providing the pass for Marco Reus to create Monchengladbach's second goal. The strikers, as aforementioned, were playing alongside each other, and also playing passes in for each other with Hermann running out from the wing.

Munich lined up in a 4-2-3-1, pressed high up and controlled most of possession. Anatoli Timoshchuk and Bastian Schweinsteiger lined up in a two behind Toni Kroos, cutting in and channeling the possession play to Lahm, who provided width to counteract Kroos's runs inside. 

The Bayern defence played as a back four with full-backs pushing high up the pitch, to provide width for attacking midfielders cutting inside. Both Jérôme Boateng and Lahm went forward to great effect. Their crosses and runs created a lot of Bayern's half-chances. Defenders Daniel van Buyten and Holger Badstuber covered behind the rest of the side.

The striker and support striker were woefully inadequate for most of the game. Mario Gomez made some smart runs and headers, and Thomas Müller got more involved in the second half, but both were generally restricted very well by the deep defending of Monchengladbach.

First Half

Bayern were very persuasive with their possession play, channelling it through Schweinsteiger (using the ball energetically and trying to be very direct, something which did not suit the more subdued kind of game Bayern were playing, at least today). Tymoschuk (in distribution, was very slow and played very laboured long passes), as well as Muller (who could barely get in the game). All of this combined to form a Bayern who were dominating possession but creating little in the final third.

And of course, Lucien Favre's textbook gameplan suited this perfectly, with two deep banks of four, and a central midfield pairing which had a primarily defensive duty. Arango was more peripheral in the first half as Hermann's flank saw more action.

It was Lahm's forward runs which were taken advantage of in the first half by Monchengladbach, observable in the second goal, where a through ball out to an empty flank left Hermann in enough space to score. More chances along the same lines were to follow.

Bayern action was limited to long shots from the center. Kroos was probably their best player, classy in possession and channeling all their good play from a tucked-in position on the flank. They also tried to be more direct, trying to get to Gomez with forward crosses by Arjen Robben and Lahm. 

Second Half

Bayern bucked up; David Alaba was brought on for Tymoshchuk, and played on the wing in a more direct, crossing role. This directness helped reduce the need for Lahm on that side, and also allowed Kroos to go inside, and help with possession play.

Bayern head coach Jupp Heynckes correctly surmised that since Bayern had so much possession and their opposition were going to play so deep, he did not require a holding midfielder, and could put Kroos in the centre to give him more control over the game.

Furthermore, Muller was more involved in play as he became more central. This made some difference to Bayern's approach, trying more balls over the top, all of which needed some smart last-minute defending from Monchengladbach players. This direct approach, while being less focused on Lahm's flank, switched to Boateng, and then to Rafinha, both of whom spent long periods high up the flank.

Borussia's defensive performance was not so much about luck as it was about tactics and Marc-André ter Stegen's prowess. Gomez was caught offside four or more times, and ter Stegen saved six out of seven shots on target, also collecting and clearing several balls. Ter Stegen also made the most passes of anyone in his side, indicating how counter-attacking their approach really was.

This was very well exploited by Monchengladbach for the second goal. Reus and Hanke were involved again when Arango won the ball from deep and delivered the it up the flank, beating Rafinha and leaving Reus in acres of space to switch the ball to the other flank, as an onrushing Hermann put the ball into the net.

Conclusion

1) Monchengladbach defended and countered well. Favre's setup was perfect in every way, and it was clear that the style fit the players like a glove, giving the requisite defensive responsibility and attacking freedom to reflect the talents and tendencies of their side. Reus was especially important in this game, manifesting their approach of attacking through the flanks by drifting into wide positions where opposition full-backs should have been.

2) Bayern's possession game, in contrast, felt unsuited to the talents and characteristics of their players. Although effective in terms of chances created, it is wise to note that they only created half chances and could not really find a way past the two banks of four. Their aerially focused passing did not suit them, and it was only when Kroos came centrally that their balls over the top began finding people.

3) Monchengladbach have surprised many with their adventurousness this season. They have a very considered tactical approach that is carefully thought out and crafted to suit their players. It is really no surprise, to be fair, in this game, with Favre taking advantage of a flaw in the Bayern defensive line.

You can read this article and more like this on my blog: http://amogh-theinsider.blogspot.com/ 

Borussia Monchengladbach v VfL Bochum, Bundesliga, March 20, 2009

While all eyes are on the top of the Bundesliga, surely the most exciting title race in Europe, there is also much to keep an eye on at the bottom of the top German division.

The Friday night game in Germany this week sees Borussia Monchengladbach host Bochum as both clubs look to avoid relegation to the Bundesliga II. Just like the top of the table, it is tight at the bottom with at least seven teams involved in the relegation battle. Monchengladbach and Bochum are separated only by goal difference in 15th and 16th position.

For Monchengladbach, one of the dominant teams of the 1970s in Germany, this is a crucial campaign following their promotion last season. The Foals are still a major club for most German football fans. Their success can be attributed to the likes of Hoffenheim and Hertha Berlin this season, and if their performances continue,  further success cannot be ruled out.

Since the winter break, Monchengladbach’s form has dramatically improved, lifting them from the bottom position in the Bundesliga. After losing their first game of the second half of the season to Stuttgart, Monchengladbach have lost just once in six games and that was to leaders Hertha Berlin.

Monchengladbach have hit four goals in their past two games and thanks to a number of transfers in the January transfer window, they may have found the right blend to avoid the dreaded drop with Tomas Galasek becoming a crucial member of the side.

The key to the fight against relegation has been the performances of American Michael Bradley (pictured) who at just 21 has a bright future in European football. The son of team USA boss Bob Bradley scored two last week against Cologne and his goals from midfield will always be crucial.

Another youngster to keep an eye on is homegrown Marko Marin, who has provided four assists and two goals in the last five games.

Bochum’s results have also picked up a little over the past few games as the fear of relegation sets in. Last week’s 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich ended a mini run of four games without defeat which saw them win twice.

Marcel Koller’s side has struggled for goals this season, scoring just 28 and are also without an away win. It is difficult to see them changing the latter fact on Friday night although Christian Fuchs is in relatively good form

Christoph Dabrowski provides some defensive steel in the middle of the park and only a late goal from Thomas Kleine denied Bochum a win over their hosts on Friday night in the game between these two teams in October.

101gg predicts: Borussia Monchengladbach 3 – VfL Bochum 1 (14/1)

Full match odds here.

Belgium football is on the rise. A new generation is rising up to make new memories since the days of Enzo Scifo and Marc Wilmots. In the next few years the names of Steven Defour, Axel Witsel, Eden Hazard, and Moussa Dembele will likely become as well known as Marouane Fellaini has become.

Another name to add to that list is 23-year-old Belgium keeper Logan Bailly, who moved in the January transfer window from his boyhood club Genk to German outfit Borussia Monchengladbach.

Bailly’s reputation came to the fore during Belgium’s unexpected run to the semifinals at the Beijing Olympics, where he was earmarked as being the long-term shot-stopper for the national team. If his debut performances for Gladbach are anything to go by, it won't be too long before Bailly again moves on to pastures new to play his club football.

Bailly’s career has hit a crossroads in which the keeper is looking to convert his much-hyped potential into proving himself as the real deal. Often characterised as a showman, Bailly’s theatrics have sometimes been construed as evidencing a lack of professionalism. He has a rap sheet to boot, including stories of driving too fast, drinking too much, and generally indulging too much in the good life.

But, provided he is nurtured in the correct fashion, Bailly stands to be one of the best custodians of his generation.

With lightning reflexes, as well as an excellent sense for positioning, Bailly is known for being good in the air and having the requisite safe pair of hands.

These qualities were evident in Gladbach’s impressive one-all draw at Werder Bremen last weekend in the Bundesliga in which the keeper made half a dozen point-blank saves that kept his team in the match.

Highlights of Logan Bailly’s wonderful exhibition of goalkeeping against Werder can be seen here.