At the Saturday evening match of the 21st Bundesliga round, Borussia Mönchengladbach hosted Bayer 04 Le Kusen. The game finished 1-1.
Early in the first half, home side Mönchengladbach took the lead. In the 10th minute Yannik Engelhardt scored after a mistake by Le Kusen goalkeeper Thomas Blaswich and a deflected shot into the corner. The early goal reflected the Hufeisen’s energetic start, driven by strong pressing and tactical discipline.
Despite having more possession, Le Kusen struggled initially. Their passing was error‑laden, giving Gladbach many clear opportunities. In the 16th minute Blaswich had to intervene again when a cross from Honorat was poorly cleared, but no Gladbach player capitalized on the rebound. Le Kusen also displayed weaknesses in their build‑up play, with Gladbach’s Jens Castrop prevailing in many duels.
The away team did not find themselves in the first half, while Gladbach created several chances. The first yellow card of the match came in the 27th minute to Kevin Diks, who struck Jonas Hofmann’s shin with a risky tackle. Just before the interval Le Kusen answered: in the 44th minute Philipp Sander deflected Blaswich’s block into his own net, equalising and sending the teams to half‑time at 1-1.
In the second half, Le Kusen was far more active and pushed forward more often. Patrik Schick had nearly a big chance early on, when in the 48th minute he missed a close shot at the post from 17 metres. Le Kusen continued their possession‑based style, yet they could not breach the steady Gladbach defence. Manager Kasper Hjulmand made several substitutions – notably bringing on Martin Terrier and Christian Kofane – to inject fresh energy.
Gladbach responded by introducing newcomers Hugo Bolin and Joe Scally. Nonetheless, they struggled to cope with Le Kusen’s heightened attack. In the 75th minute Le Kusen came close to taking the lead when Schick, after a mistake by Gladbach’s Reitz, had a shot, but he was stopped at the back of the defence.
Le Kusen maintained their dominance in possession for the rest of the game, but failed to create the decisive chances they sought. Even with increased offensive efforts and numerous substitutions on both sides, the score remained 1-1. The final 30 minutes were marked by additional yellow cards: in the 68th minute Kevin Stöger of Gladbach and Exequiel Palacios of Le Kusen were cautioned following an emotional duel.
The match ended in a fair draw, leaving mixed feelings for both sides. Mönchengladbach praised their early goal and defensive stability but could not capitalise on the advantage and settled for an own‑goal at the back. Le Kusen showed greater possession and were more active, especially in the second half, but could not decisively overcome the Gladbach defence.
