On 21 January, one of the matches of the 18th round of the German football championship took place. Borussia M (Mönchengladbach) and Augsburg (Germany) met.
German Championship, 18th round
Borussia M (Mönchengladbach) - Augsburg (Germany) - 1:2 ( 1:0)
Goals: J. Zibatcheu (26) - P. Tietz (47), A. Engels (51)
Warnings: Elvis Rexbechai (41), L. Netz (67), K. Jakic (80).
In a tense Bundesliga encounter at the BORUSSIA-PARK stadium, Borussia Monchengladbach faced off against FC Augsburg. The match featured some exciting moments and at half-time the score was 1-0 in favour of Borussia Monchengladbach. However, in the second half, FC Augsburg took a 2-1 victory. In the first half, both teams fought fiercely for control of the game. In the 26th minute, Borussia Monchengladbach player J. Sibatchew managed to break the deadlock, delighting the spectators with a lucky goal. The first yellow card of the match was shown to Augsburg's E. Rekschbekai in the 41st minute, emphasising the tense nature of the match. The second half started with a substitution for Borussia Monchengladbach: R. Reitz replaced K. Kramer. However, Augsburg played a dominant role at the start of the game. In the 47th minute P. Tietz equalised the score. Not content with one goal, Augsburg continued to press and took the lead in the 51st minute thanks to a goal by A. Engels. Borussia Monchengladbach's defence struggled to contain Augsburg's attacking abilities, and their lead proved to be difficult. Both teams then made changes to their line-ups, and in the 60th minute Augsburg brought on F. Jensen instead of K. Jakic.
Borussia Monchengladbach also made changes, replacing R. Huck with N. Nguma in the 67th minute. L. Netz received a yellow card in the same minute. In an attempt to recover the deficit, Borussia made two more substitutions: M. Koné and F. Neuhaus replaced R. Reitz and L. Netz in the 71st minute. They hoped that the fresh forces would help turn the tide of the match in their favour. In addition, in the 73rd minute Augsburg made the second substitution in the match: A. Engels replaced M. Pedersen. As time went on, the tension increased, and in the 80th minute Augsburg player K. Jakic received a yellow card. But it was Augsburg who made the next substitution, replacing D. Bello and A. Meyer with P. Tietz and R. Vargas in the 83rd minute. Borussia Monchengladbach made their last substitution in the 87th minute, with F. Honorat replacing G. Ranos in a desperate attempt to equalise. Despite their best efforts, Augsburg held on for an important away win, leaving the home team and their fans disappointed. This match was a perfect example of the competitive nature of the Bundesliga, where every minute can turn the tide of a game. FC Augsburg demonstrated their ability to change the dynamics of the match by getting back into the game in the second half and left Borussia Monchengladbach to analyse their game and make improvements for future encounters.
The following matches await the opponents in the next round: Bayer vs Borussia M, Augsburg vs Bayern Munich.
| Borussia M | Augsburg | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Kicks to the goal | 7 |
| 17 | Kicks | 15 |
| 4 | Blocked shots | 4 |
| 13 | Penalty kicks | 9 |
| 4 | Penalty kicks | 6 |
| 9 | Offences | 19 |
| 5 | Corner | 6 |
| 2 | Offsides | 1 |
| 55% | Ball possession | 45% |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 5 | Keeper saves | 3 |
| 481 | Total assists | 392 |
| 401 | Accurate assists | 315 |
| 83% | Transmission accuracy | 80% |