1st matchday
Augsburg and Gladbach with spectacle and “many feelings”
Mönchengladbach and Augsburg played a hard-fought and high-scoring game. photo
© Matthias Balk/dpa
Eight goals provide the best entertainment in Augsburg at the start of the Bundesliga. FCA made a great comeback in a wild 4: 4 before Gladbach put the end to the game deep in injury time.
After the rapid goalSpectacle in the Augsburg football furnace, the coaches on the sidelines were exhausted and fought with the emotions.
“It was a game with a lot of emotions,” admitted Gerardo Seoane after the 4-4 (3-3) win in his first Bundesliga game as Borussia Mönchengladbach coach. Meanwhile, Augsburg’s Enrico Maaßen struggled with a “bitter outcome” for his team on Saturday evening because Gladbach’s new striker Tomas Cvancara scored the 4-4 with his second goal in the seventh minute of added time.
Maassen did not approve of the previous penalty call after Ruben Vargas touched Yvandro Borges Sanches in the penalty area. 30,660 spectators experienced a very entertaining game in the sold-out WWK Arena until the eighth and final goal, with FCA making a terrific comeback after being 2-0 and 3-1 down. Accordingly, Maassen likes to “emphasize the positive”. He praised the mentality and morale of his team. But Seoane also praised “morale to the end” at Gladbach.
“I’d rather play 4:4 than a boring game”
Elvis Rexhbecaj (29th), Maximilian Bauer (41st), penalty taker Sven Michel (45th + 7th) and the near-match winner Vargas (75th) scored for FCA, which a week after the embarrassing cup loss at third division SpVgg Unterhaching showed a remarkable reaction. Ko Itakura (13th minute), Cvancara (27th) and Nathan Ngoumou (37th) shot the Gladbacher at times on the road to victory before the break. “It’s a bit disappointing to score four goals and come away with a point,” said two-goal Cvancara.
Both teams fought an intense exchange of blows with open visors in high summer temperatures. However, both teams also gave the impression that they had neglected their defensive work a bit in the pre-season. The goals were usually preceded by mistakes or a lack of cleverness in defensive behavior. “I’d rather play 4-4 than a boring game,” said FCA defender Felix Uduokhai.
The new Borussia offensive made a good impression with the additions of Franck Honorat and center forward Cvancara, who demonstrated his qualities in the end. The fast left winger Ngoumou not only duped opponent Arne Engels when he scored after a long drive from goalkeeper Jonas Omlin. Shortly after the break, Augsburg’s midfielder Niklas Dorsch saved Ngoumou’s second goal (48′), who remained a troublemaker, with a courageous save.
National player Mergim Berisha, who was still hoping for a move to a top club, was not a factor in the Augsburg offensive. After 58 minutes it was over for the 25-year-old striker. Berisha remains a candidate for sale. “He would like to take the next step. And clubs also pursue economic interests,” Maassen said after the game. He would like to keep Berisha. It remains exciting until September 1, when the summer transfer window ends.