25th matchday
Derby spectacle in Gladbach: 3:3 between Borussia and Cologne
Sargis Adamyan (M) and 1. FC Köln take a point from Mönchengladbach. photo
© Federico Gambarini/dpa
It goes back and forth. The spectators in Borussia Park see an exciting exchange of blows between two rivals. However, the result doesn’t really help either club.
Cologne took the lead twice through Faride Alidou (7th minute/64th). Gladbach turned the game around in the meantime, but in the end Damion Downs saved FC a point with his goal in the 79th minute. Franck Honorat (32nd) and Robin Hack (71st/73rd) scored for Borussia in front of 54,042 spectators.
However, in terms of the table and emotionally, the result is not enough for both teams. Cologne remained winless for the fifth time in a row and is seven points behind the 15th place in the table. After the 3-1 defeat in the first leg and three days before the quarter-finals in the DFB Cup at 1. FC Saarbrücken on Tuesday (8.30 p.m./ZDF and Sky), the hosts missed the revenge they were aiming for.
Headlines before kick-off
The game had made headlines long before the ball rolled. On Friday evening, Gladbach and Cologne fans met at Borussia Park and triggered a major police operation. According to police, two male and female officers were injured and more than 200 people were arrested. An actually planned choreography by the Gladbach supporters did not take place. The atmosphere in the stands was heated right from the start, and the pace was immediately on the pitch.
It only took seven minutes before Alidou broke through on the right, shot almost from the baseline and Gladbach’s goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas bounced the ball into the goal. The hosts responded immediately. Cologne keeper Marvin Schwäbe directed an attempt from Florian Neuhaus onto the post, and Nathan Ngoumou didn’t hit the rebound properly.
Exciting exchange of blows in the second half
After a lively opening phase, the Cologne team got the game better under control. Although Borussia often had the ball, FC didn’t allow anything around the penalty area. The guests were the more dangerous team on the counterattack. Sargis Adamyan narrowly missed making it 0-2 after a cross from the left side.
A mistake by Cologne in the build-up game then helped Borussia. Neuhaus switched quickly, sent Honorat and the Frenchman scored to make it 1-1. Gladbach became stronger. After a remarkable combination with Jordan Siebatcheu, Neuhaus failed again at the post (53′). The game now became wild. First Alidou headed FC back into the lead, then substitute Hack turned the game around for Gladbach. However, FC scored the final point: Downs equalized to make it 3-3 for the guests.