33rd matchday
Mönchengladbach finally saved after a 1-1 draw against Frankfurt
In good shape: Gladbach’s Robin Hack (l) scored again in the 1-1 draw against Frankfurt. photo
© David Inderlied/dpa
A draw against Eintracht Frankfurt is enough for Borussia Mönchengladbach to finally stay in the league. The Hessians have to wait to secure sixth place.
Eintracht could certainly look forward to sixth place on Sunday and thus at least participation in the Europa League if TSG 1899 Hoffenheim does not win at SV Darmstadt 98.
In front of 54,042 in the sold-out Borussia Park, the in-form Robin Hack (9th minute) once again put Gladbach in the lead. A bad misfire by defender Nico Elvedi meant Dina Ebimbe equalized before the break (35′). The score remained 1:1 until the end. With 34 points, coach Gerardo Seoane’s team remains 13th in the table. Eintracht could have secured sixth place with a win. The Frankfurt team celebrated with their fans in Mönchengladbach, but can theoretically still be pushed out by Hoffenheim.
Lots of individual mistakes
In the duel between the two crisis clubs, who had recently scored very little points, Eintracht was even more unsettled at the beginning of the game. The Gladbachers were keen to play on the offensive. In particular, Borussia’s hack, which had been the best in weeks, repeatedly posed problems for the Frankfurt defense and also gave them the early lead. It was his tenth Bundesliga goal this year. Only Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Lois Openda from RB Leipzig scored more in 2024.
The fact that the Gladbachers are the team that gave up a win more often than any other after taking the lead was evident again after the 1-0 win. The individual mistakes made by Borussia increased dramatically. A particularly blatant mistake by central defender Elvedi paved the way for Ebimbe to equalize.
Herrmann and Jantschke said goodbye with short assignments
The half-time score of 1:1 was fine, both teams played on an average level and both allowed themselves their individual lapses from time to time. After the break, Eintracht was initially more toxic and dominated the game. However, some of the best opportunities remained unused. Gladbach limited themselves to counterattacking, but after a few changes of coach they got more access to the game again. Both teams have now largely neutralized each other.
At the end there was another atmosphere when Tony Jantschke and Patrick Herrmann came on. Both veterans, who had never played for clubs other than Borussia as professionals, had already said goodbye before the game. Herrmann, who played his 350th Bundesliga game, and Jantschke, who played his 247th game for Gladbach, are ending their careers in the summer and continuing to work at the club in another role.