Borussia makes participation in the Champions League perfect. How quickly the concept of trainer Marco Rose worked out surprised even those involved.
The last time Borussia Mönchengladbach ended a season so successfully, they made a film out of it. The title: “On, on, on in the Champions League”. The fans sang this line again and again in spring 2015, and they would have sung it again this time if they were allowed to be there in the stadium.
The Gladbachers had 66 points five years after the final season under the coach Lucien Favre, and now 65 in the first season under the coach Marco Rose. With a 2: 1 (1: 0) against Hertha BSC they ended the season appropriately. “Untamable through Europe” was on her cheering T-shirts, which she put on afterwards.
Barely four years after Gladbach’s last appearance in the Champions League in December 2016, a 0: 4 swatter at FC Barcelona (then coach was André Schubert), the Borussia team will be able to play in the European master class again from September. “That feels good,” said coach Rose afterwards, “thanks go to our fans, without whom a lot was missing here.” All kinds of car horns could be heard from outside the stadium, the fans somehow had to make themselves felt.
Brazilian Raffael makes his last game for Gladbach after seven years
Gladbach’s Vice President Rainer Bonhof in the grandstand wore a bright green Gladbacher special jersey under his seriously checkered shirt and cheered that the change of coach accompanied by all kinds of background noises in Rose’s favor and Dieter Hecking’s disadvantage has proven to be justified. “Nobody expected that what we hoped for would take effect so quickly,” said Bonhof. “The qualification for the Champions League is confirmation of an exceptionally good season.”
A year ago, the Gladbachers lost their Champions League participation to Bayer Leverkusen on the last match day because they lost 0-2 at home to Borussia Dortmund. This time the game on the final day brought them a guest named Hertha BSC, for whom there was nothing left and who gave the Gladbachers so many involuntary gifts in the first half that it should have been much higher at break than just 1: 0. Breel Embolo could not get a template from Hertha goalkeeper Dennis Smarsch under control, otherwise he would only have to push the ball into the goal. Lars Stindl shot a comparable template from Hertha defender Alexander Esswein only on the post and Jonas Hofmann failed alone before Smarsch. The only goal before the break was scored by Hofmann in the 7th minute, but Embolo deserved all the praise because he had previously played with full force against defenders Jordan Torunarigha, Dedryck Boyata and Niklas Stark, who were less than optimal in this regard, and Hofmann then got the ball had hung up.
In the second half, the Berliners were no longer as generous, but did not really contest the result for the Gladbachers, so the hosts played the win at home knowing that a draw in the remote duel with Bayer Leverkusen would have been enough for them. The decisive 2: 0 was allowed to shoot Embolo in the 78th minute, this time Hofmann returned the favor with a template. The 1: 2 by Vedad Ibisevic in injury time no longer hurt. After the final whistle, the players hopped and danced across the lawn and were certainly a bit sad that they were not allowed to enjoy this moment with the fans. Therefore, there will probably be no film this time.
But you always have the best memories in your heart. “It is a huge deal for us,” said Hofmann about the Champions League qualification, “we are very happy.” His midfield colleague Christoph Kramer sounded a little more factual than he calculated: “Whoever scores 65 points deserves the Champions League.” Kramer had been one of five Gladbachers at 0: 4 in Barcelona in December 2016 who also played against Hertha – alongside Yann Sommer, Nico Elvedi, Tony Jantschke and the Brazilian Raffael, who played his last game for Gladbach on Saturday after seven years has made.
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