Borussia Mönchengladbach – Bayern Munich: The Banana Skin (3-2)
An early red card threw Bayern Munich into disarray and Borussia Mönchengladbach into their familiar role. Ultimately, up against their bogey team, Bayern shifted formations and struggled in vain for control against a patient and deadly Mönchengladbach.
Tactical analysis and match report by Nick Hartland.
Despite a fast start to the season under Daniel Farke, results have since been inconsistent for Borussia Mönchengladbach and have seen the team drop into mid-table. For any other team, the arrival of league leaders and German juggernauts Bayern Munich would be a cause for concern, but this is the fixture that gets Mönchengladbach excited and Bayern weary.
Farke has yet to deviate from using a 4-2-3-1 formation and this game was no different for the ex-Norwich manager. Jonas Omlin started in goal, with a back four of Ramy Bensebaini, Nico Elvedi, Ko Itakura, and Stefan Lainer. Manu Koné and Christoph Kramer formed a midfield partnership, whilst Hannes Wolf and Jonas Hofmann played wide. In attack, Alassane Pléa played instead of the stalwart and ever-threatening Marcus Thuram who was on the bench due to an injury and behind him in the number ten role was Lars Stindl.
Bayern came into the game on a run of twenty games undefeated and sat atop of the Bundesliga, but with a point between them and second-place Union Berlin, manager Julian Nagelsmann would be acutely aware of the threat Mönchengladbach possessed as a banana skin to his side. He is yet to record a victory over Mönchengladbach since becoming Bayern manager. The last time they visited the Borussia-Park stadium, he watched as his side was soundly beaten 5-0.
Nagelsmann set his . . .
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