1. JC Mönchengladbach loses by tactical trick against Bayer Leverkusen

1. JC Mönchengladbach could long dream of winning a point – if not more – against the promotion aspirants and title favorites TSV Bayer Leverkusen. Until half-time the guests from Mönchengladbach were even in the lead, but a tactical trick by Leverkusen and an unfortunate course in the last fight brought the 1st JC a 6:8 defeat in the 2nd Judo Bundesliga.

Ahmad Alerksosi made the start for the 1st JC in the weight class up to 60 kilograms – and lost to the opponent from Leverkusen. On the other hand, Aslanbek Kagermanov (-81 kg) won his fight confidently and equalized the encounter again. David Hohn (-90 kg) put up a spirited fight two weight classes above his actual category, but ultimately had to admit defeat. Daniel Vishnevski (-73 kg) was also unable to assert himself against his opponent from Leverkusen, which allowed Bayer to pull away 3-1. In return, Raymon de Vos (-100 kg) and Eldar Tliashinov (+100 kg) were able to win their fights early and thus restore the equalizer for Mönchengladbacher. Alexander Wegele (-66 kg) secured the 4:3 break in favor of the Gladbach judoka with his victory in the final fight of the first round.

In the break between the two rounds, the Gladbach team considered which line-up they should go back to the mat with in order to defend their narrow lead. One name in particular for the Leverkusen team gave 1. JC a headache. “With Anthony Zingg, Bayer has a multiple German champion and international medalist on the team who almost went to the Olympic Games last year,” explains Peer Radtke from the 1st JC. “We knew that Zingg would get a safe point and postponed it so that our top fighters compete in other weight classes.”

But the Gladbach team had reckoned without the hosts, who in turn had Zingg compete in a different class. Aslanbek Kagermanov surprisingly met Leverkusen’s top fighter in the weight class up to 90 kilograms and had to admit defeat for the first time in this second division season. Paul Kral (-60 kg) and Almin Mulic (-81 kg), who were new to the team, also lost right at the beginning of the second round. Since Vishnevski (-73 kg) won his fight this time and de Vos (-100 kg) remained unbeaten again, the 1st JC equalized to 6:6. But Tliashinov (+100 kg) lost his second fight, so that with an intermediate score of 7:6, the last fight of the day in the weight class up to 66 kg had to bring the decision. Alexander Wegele dominated his opponent and was able to force two penalties from the referees on him before he had to admit defeat with an ippon score after a lack of attention, which meant victory for Leverkusen.

It continues at the weekend with a double match day of the 1. JC Mönchengladbach. The Bundesliga men will visit JC Koriouchi Gelsenkirchen on Saturday at 2 p.m., while the women will meet Kentai Bochum and 1. JJJC Dortmund in the NRW league.