KSC @ Wildparkstadion
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Hans Meyer leads Borussia against Karlsruher SC Sunday afternoon in surprisingly one of the more important matches of the Bundesliga weekend. While many would question a battle between two clubs in the relegation zone “important” it could have a major impact upon both sides futures as well as others.
Since the start of the start of the Rückrunde, the Bundesliga has been turned upside in many ways. With respect, typical top flight clubs Schalke, Leverkusen and Bremen have stumbled while Hinrude winner Hoffenheim have seen their hopes slashed. Borussia have certainly profited as they already matched their first half point total with still nine matches remaining. Now at the mid-point of the spring season, their next test is to continue the run to safety and build for the future.
Success over the last eight eight weeks aside, the trip to Wildparkstadion will be one of the most difficult. Borussia can expect a very vocal backdrop by their robust supporters and Edmund Becker’s side will play a tough, physical brand of Football that is a impossible not to appreciate. Borussia must counter that with similar grit, making this a bloodied battlefield.
KSC is presently at the bottom of the table and will be playing for a victory. They cannot be “safe” and will throw an all out effort for the three points. Hans Meyer is aware of this and will deploy a counter-attack ready approach.
He does have Dante, who came over from Standard de Liège in January, available and looked very fit in the recent friendly against Heracles Almelo. Marko Marin is unavailable due to suspension and will watch along with Tony Jantschke, Jean-Sébastien Jaurès and the Canadian Rob Friend. Roberto Colautti will take Friend’s place with Michael Bradley and Gal Alberman are fully recovered from international play.
Category: Borussia Mönchengladbach News
Borussia route to safety
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With nine matches remaining, Borussia’s climb to safety presses forward. Despite’s last weeks bitter loss against Bochum, Hans Meyer work has lived up to all his accolades as since the start of the Rückrunde Borussia have tallied up eleven points and climbed from automatic relegation to the playoff / demotion spot. Clearly looking ahead the task at-hand is to leap forward to safety.
Based upon prior years, the typical safety spot ranges from thirty-two to thirty-five points, which leaves Borussia in need of thirteen points in their final run. While far from out of the race both Karlsruhe and Energie Cottbus sit behind and Borussia’s main target is Arminia Bielefeld who are within two points. Bochum are the closest thereafter with both Hannover and Frankfurt on the out-skirts of those concerned with relegation. Possibly a bit of unique Football justice in the scheduling world but Borussia fan’s who recall 2007 will have the opportunity to send the schwarz-weiß-blauen to the lower division.
For Borussia there is no doubt that the race for an additional fourteen points is an uphill battle with the next month the decider as May’s schedule is considerably harder with Bayern, Schalke 04, Leverkusen and Dortmund. Looking ahead from the international week next weeks match against KSC a near “must win” if the target is to be met. Following the the difficult trip to Baden-Württemberg, VfL returns home to the best team in the Bundesliga since the break, Wolfsburg. Rounding out are opportunities for maximal points, Eintracht Frankfurt and finally Arminia Bielefeld.
With the international break Borussia has used its time well with a friendly against Eredivisie side Heracles Almelo. Winning 3-1 with Roberto Colautti finding the net twice and Oliver Neuville adding the third before the half-hour, Borussia overwhelmed the Dutch club with an inspired effort. Most importantly the match featured Jean-Sébastien Jaurès, Dante, Patrick Paauwe and Tomáš Galásek working together with very promising results. Borussia now takes the weekend off before returning to training on Monday for next weeks big match.<
Bundesliga race from relegation (teams concerned only):
| GP | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 25 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 30 | 39 | 26 |
| Hannover 96 | 25 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 35 | 52 | 26 |
| VfL Bochum | 25 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 29 | 40 | 25 |
| Arminia Bielefeld | 25 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 36 | 24 |
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | 25 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 32 | 47 | 22 |
| Energie Cottbus | 25 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 21 | 44 | 20 |
| Karlsruhe | 25 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 18 | 42 | 17 |
Category: Borussia Mönchengladbach NewsBorussia Mönchengladbach extends Tobias Levels contract
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Borussia announced today that it has extended the contract of Tobias Levels through 2011. Sports Director Max Eberl noted his pleasure with keeping the twenty-two year-old defender with Borussia, where he started his development ten years ago. Featuring in fifty-two Bundesliga matches to-date, Tobias is through and through a Borussia man and solidified his core commitment of VfL.
Photo Credit: Borussia Mönchengladbach
Category: Borussia Mönchengladbach NewsBitteres
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The battle between two sides fighting to avoid relegation ended with Borussia bitterly losing 1-0 to Bochum. There could be no better way to summarize the match for Borussia other than “bitter” as for much of the match they completely dominated Bochum with the exception of netting a much needed goal. Hans Meyer used the same starting eleven as in the 4-2 against Köln and from the opening whistle threatened the visitors. With a precision attacking Roel Brouwers and Rob Friend each threatened and while they should have given Borussia the lead, the final touch was off target. However after a blood-thirsty start the tide began to turn and at the half-hour mark Diego Klimowicz launched a counter-attack with Dennis Grote receiving the ball and sending an unstoppable ball into the net from twenty-five metres.
Tactically the next step came as no surprise as Marcel Koller choose with the goal to wisely lock Borussia out with a heavy emphasis in defending. Resigned to defending the final third, Bochum had roughly thirty per-cent of the ball for the rest of the night but were able to somehow hold the endless onslaught by Borussia out. After the break were long range speculative efforts that were dealt with comfortably by a disciplined Bochum. In the final stages of the match Dante was introduced for the first time and along with Oliver Neuville and Roberto Colautti, Borussia threw everything at Bochum ‘keeper Daniel Fernandes but he turned away efforts by Roel Brouwers and Rob Friend again as the visitors goal was untouched.
Category: Borussia Mönchengladbach NewsBorussia must rise up again
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Now seven matches into the Rückrunde, Borussia are playing at the height of the Bundesliga. And while signings such as Tomáš Galásek and Logan Bailly have been tremendous emulsifiers for the team, it goes far deeper as each man has raised their game to knew levels in order to serve the success of the team. It is far too early to celebrate but after two consecutive victories, Friday evenings match against Bochum provides Hans Meyer’s men a chance out of the relegation zone. Standing in their way is a Bochum side that is not only playing with much improved structure but with great intensity. For the match, Borussia will not change last weeks match as Dante, Roberto Colautti and Johannes van den Bergh are out with Steve Gohouri’s status questionable.
However with those absences it is time for Borussia and its supporters that must stand up to waken the tombs of Bökelbergstadion with their voices and rise up.
Category: Borussia Mönchengladbach NewsSieg des VfL
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The Rheinische Derby ended with a great 4-2 victory for Borussia over Köln sending Hans Meyer’s team closer to its goal of holding off relegation.
Borussia took the lead five minutes before the half hour when Marko Marin created space in the left corridor and then crossed into the box for Michael Bradley to finish from three metres. Intensity ruled the day and with Köln fighting back hard this was not to be an easy day. However a flash of inspiration just before the break increased the margin Alexander Baumjohann provided the ball to Karim Matmour who circumvented the goalkeeper before driving the ball into the net. At the break Köln brought in Sergiu Radu and Manasseh Ishiaku looking for a way back into the match and got it four minutes after the hour when Miso Brecko’s effort took a fortuitous bounce off a defender and then the post to make it 2-1. However only three minutes later Rob Friend continued his committed play as he increased the two goal margin as Alexander Baumjohann linked up with Paul Stalteri and the other half of the Canadian VfL contingency crossed for Friend to finish. However the Rheinische Derby is never short of dramatics and Miso Brecko set up an incredible finish driving the ball in from fifteen metres with eight minutes remaining on the club. Now only a one goal lead, the home side threw forward hunting for a draw but the Gladbachern dug in along the lines. With a few minutes remaining a penalty was awarded after Gal Alberman was brought down in the area by Kevin Pezzoni and Michael Bradley converted from the box to make it 4-2.
Category: Borussia Mönchengladbach NewsBorussia v Rhein derby against Köln
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With the resounding 4-1 victory over HSV last Saturday, Borussia has climbed from the bottom of the Bundesliga table. Through the initial stages of Rückrunde the turnaround has been notable with two victories and two draws in six matches, most against clubs bearing down on European competition. Now with the vision of survival no longer a dream few could imagine, the mastermind of Hans Meyer turns to the Rhein derby against Köln.
With respects to Köln, their coach Christoph Daum has worked his own magic and while some doubted “Geißböcke” earlier in the Hinrude, they are playing some of the best Football in the Bundesliga. Following a shock 2-1 victory over Bayern in München they have played the stubborn schwarz-weiß-blauen of Bielefeld to a 1-1 draw and lost narrowly 1-0 to Schalke 04. No extra inspiration is needed for a derby but Köln is anxious to finish the year off as they look ahead to welcoming their captain Lukas Podolski home in July.
With two great rivals going head to head on Saturday, their will be no shortage of aggression and with Borussia closing in on an escape from relegation, the match takes on even greater importance.
Category: Borussia Mönchengladbach NewsMannschaftsleistung
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The tombs of Bökelbergstadion shook once again as Borussia put forth a total team display defeating Hamburg 4-1 Saturday afternoon. Under Hans Meyer leadership and the loyal supporters, Borussia has played with a relentless spirit since the start of the Rückrunde and clawed their way out of the table bottom.
With Tomáš Galásek back in the lineup the veteran once again held strong the VfL defending. Marko Marin was inspiring and wide attacks caused havoc with Hamburg. Twenty-four minutes in, as Borussia-Park filled with song, the Marko Marin accepted a long pass from Galásek and closing from the left he sent a chip over the keep to the Rob Friend to send in. However five minutes later Mladen Petrić canceled out the lead striking from the twelve metres out. The scoring didn’t stop as before the break Tobias Levels gave Borussia the lead again as surging in on the ‘keeper to the left his initial shot was blocked by Joris Mathijsen but he managed to send the rebound in with his left foot to take the 2-1 lead at the break.
Borussia extended the lead nine minutes after the break as Roel Brouwers got on the end of Filip Daems cross and drove the ball in. A few minutes past the hour Karim Matmour raced into the box and a penalty was called after he was taken down from behind. Marco Marin calmly stepped up and as the ball nestled into the net making it 4-1, a victory was assured for Borussia. A few minutes later Oliver Neuville was brought in for Marco Marin as Hans Meyer locked down further HSV’s advances.
Category: Borussia Mönchengladbach Newsare points coming back for Borussia?
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The Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB) announced today that Hoffenheim’s Andreas Ibertsberger and Christoph Janker have been cleared in of any wrong doing in the doping issue following the match against Borussia. However the club and its doping appointee Peter Geigle will now face a hearing in the DFB sports tribunal that could amount to a significant fine of up to €150k and the stripping of points from Hoffenheim with Borussia receiving them.
DFB-Präsident Dr. Theo Zwanziger reaffirmed the organizations commitment to drug-free sport and the control panel, with Dr. Rainer Koch has noted that Borussia’s appeal against Hoffenheim be consider with the DFB sports court hearing. While it doesn’t seem like that points would be returned to Borussia, the DFB’s wording raises the chance.
Category: Borussia Mönchengladbach NewsBorussia look to make up ground on table
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The start of the Rückrunde has proven that the Bundesliga is one the most evenly matches league in European Football. Teams at the bottom of the table following the Hinrude have constantly turned the tables on top flight clubs, leaving the race on either end of the table wide-open.
For Borussia supporters, pride has been restored with one noble effort after another. While painfully some points have been dropped, including a terrible call that cost a win against Hoffenheim, die Fohlen have shown pride in their fearless play.
Saturday HSV visit Borussia-Park coming off a sound 3-1 defeat of Wolfsburg. Anxious to get back in the winning column, the defeated SV Wehen in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday. Martin Jol is without Paulo Guerrero to suspension and Guy Demel, Michael Gravgaard and Alex Silva to injury.
Hans Meyer has talked of the situation being serious, a point that need not be debated but with twelve matches remaining Borussia has done well with a tough opening run. Tomáš Galásek is healthy and will immediately return to the lineup although Dante’s debut will still held back. Marko Marin and Rob Friend are questionable although both are expected to be ready in what will likely be a more attacking approach.
Category: Borussia Mönchengladbach News
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