Scene of the game: The game was long over, when the trembling began to get ahead. Minutes after the final whistle in Madrid, the Gladbach team was gathered in front of their own bench, they formed a circle around a screen and looked like a group of football fans who want to watch the World Cup final, but only one of them has a smartphone with them. What happened there wasn’t a World Cup final, but the last moments in the duel between Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk. Then no goal was scored – and the Gladbach party began.
Result of the game in Madrid: Borussia Mönchengladbach lost 0: 2 (0: 2) at Real, although the 90 minutes were more one-sided than the result suggests. Nevertheless, the Borussia were allowed to celebrate.
Result of the game in Milan: Because Inter’s home game against Schachtjor could not win (0-0), Gladbach is second behind Real in the group’s second round of the Champions League. The Milanese are last – and thus completely out of the European Cup.
Pattern of the game: Real Madrid attacked Gladbach’s left defense, won a one-on-one duel, and shortly afterwards, Real’s star striker Karim Benzema heads the ball into the goal without any pressure from the opponent. That’s what happened before the 1-0 in Madrid. And before the 2-0. And another chance. Real was a size too big for Mönchengladbach that evening.
Once Gladbach came through: The 25th minute: Lars Stindl wins the ball from Lucas Vázquez near his own corner flag, then Borussia counter: Florian Neuhaus sends Alassane Pléa deep, the striker fails to sprint the ball onto his strong right foot. So Thibaut Courtois has to finish with the left in front of the moving out Real keeper – and lifts the ball past the goal. A good chance, a very good one. But just the only one in this category that Gladbach earned.
In contrast to the royals: They had a lot of bad luck in their graduation. Luka Modric failed half against goalkeeper Yann Sommer, half against the post (39th minute). Rodrygo hit the outside post (69th). Benzema hammered a blocked Sergio Ramos header onto the lower edge of the crossbar (73rd). Lucas Vázquez hit the post (78th). Correctly counted: The aluminum also prevented another Madrid hit four times. Gladbach was very well served with this 0-2.
Banger look to Milan: Lying behind, the game between Inter and Schachtjor was central for Borussia, a victory regardless of which team would have pushed them from second to third place. What the Gladbach celebratory circle had missed after the final whistle in Madrid were Inter chances almost every minute. One of the biggest was particularly dramatic for the Milanese: Shortly before the end, Alexis Sánchez headed his teammate Romelu Lukaku, Inter’s best striker allegedly prevented the winning goal. It was one of the Milan’s 21 degrees. They are eliminated from the Bundesliga for the second time in a row in a group with an opponent – but this time there is not even the Europa League participation as a consolation prize. This is a disaster for a team with such demands.
In a class of its own: That evening in Madrid was Karim Benzema. For years, the Frenchman had to open up space for center forward Cristiano Ronaldo in the Real game, and since his departure he has shouldered the Los Blancos offensive almost single-handedly. The force with which he placed his headers, the downward movement in the back of his opponents, the class in combining, all of this showed how big this footballer is. Benzema has now scored 69 Champions League goals, only four players have more: Bayern’s Robert Lewandsowki, Real legend Raúl, Lionel Messi and, of course: Ronaldo.
Gladbach history written: On the occasion of this year’s games against Inter and Real, journalists like to dig up stories from the past, the throwing of the rifle at Boninsegna in 1971, the game in Madrid 1976 that was possibly whistled. It is anecdotes full of nostalgia that describe an old, venerable Borussia that almost broke up in their wedding Eye level was with the greats of Europe. Today’s Borussia writes its own stories. For the first time since the introduction of the Champions League in 1992, Gladbach qualified for the round of 16 (and scored the most goals in the competition: 16). The club last got that far in the European Cup in 1978, when Berti Vogts, Rainer Bonhof and Jupp Heynckes played. That team made it to the semi-finals. This Gladbach team will hardly make it that far. But her place in the club’s history is certain.
