In the end, Mönchengladbach even had to settle for one point. A good half is not enough in the home game. Mainz cannot reward themselves with three points for a committed second half.
04/03/2022 | Status: 8:01 p.m.
Borussia Mönchengladbach negligently bet the third consecutive victory in the Bundesliga. In the 1:1 (1:0) against the long passive 1. FSV Mainz 05, coach Adi Hütter’s team failed to clarify everything in the first half.
Breel Embolo’s goal (33rd minute) was not enough for Borussia, who had an overwhelming advantage in the first round. After the change, the now much more active Mainz team equalized in front of 44,156 spectators through Karim Onisiwo (73rd) and even had the opportunity to score three points in the final phase. But they didn’t use them.
“We let ourselves be played too easily, the halls kept getting bigger. Luckily we didn’t lose the game today,” Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer told DAZN and added: ” We completely lose our compactness in the second half. We have to work on it.” Mainz sporting director Martin Schmidt summed up the situation: “A draw is fair, even if we had better chances in defence. In the second half you saw that we could do it.” For Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner, the draw was okay after “a very bad first half”.
Although the Gladbachers have been unbeaten for a month, they missed connecting with the top half of the table. With 34 points, Borussia is twelfth after 28 matchdays, five points behind ninth place. Mainz has 38 points in tenth, but already on Wednesday FC Augsburg also to complete a catch-up game.
Hütter back on Gladbach sideline
After two wins, Borussia started confidently and clearly dominated the game under Hütter, who sat on the sidelines for the first time since his corona infection. Mainz were pushed deep into their own half. With captain Lars Stindl, who was back in the starting XI for the first time since mid-January after his knee injury, an even more playful finesse entered the team. The 33-year-old’s physical condition wasn’t sufficient until shortly after the break.
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At first, as is so often the case against extremely defensive opponents, Borussia struggled to create convincing scoring chances. The best chance after half an hour led to a well-deserved lead for Mainz, who proved far too passive in this situation. Embolo completed his 100th competitive game for Borussia after a successful combination with Florian Neuhaus.
Mainz stronger after Burkardt’s arrival
Svensson brought on Jonathan Burkardt for Marcus Ingvartsen at the break. Burkardt had been sick before, but he made it to the team anyway. Just two minutes on the pitch, Burkardt unexpectedly nearly equalized with Mainz’s first chance of the game. After a post rebound after a shot from Leandro Barreiro, Burkardt came after, but Gladbach keeper Yann Sommer parried brilliantly with a reflex.
Mainz was no longer as extremely weak as in the first round and attacked earlier. At the same time, Gladbach became more passive and weren’t as sure of a pass as before. Almost inevitably, Onisiwo equalized, giving Summer no chance. It was only now that it was an open game in which both teams were looking for a decision. The Gladbachers suddenly felt an insecurity again, which they had not shown under Hütter’s assistant Christian Peintinger when the head coach was absent due to corona.
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