German FA Cup, first round
New head coach Addie Hutter’s side had a lot of trouble with the fighting third division team and shivered until the end. One goal makes the difference.
A trembling victory for Adi Hütter in his first competitive match as coach of Borussia Mönchengladbach. The Fillies won 1-0 (1-0) in the classics at 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Monday evening and are thus in the second round of the DFB Cup. Lars Stendel (11) scored the golden goal early in a contested and at times heated match in which the Bundesliga side struggled with the third-tier side for long stretches.
The 5,000 spectators at the World Cup Stadium displayed a diverse spectacle with many opportunities even without a sudden flip.
Lutheran started with a lot of momentum
Even if there were only four days between the cup rotation and the inaugural Bundesliga against record champions Bayern on Friday night, Hütter spared no regular staff for his competitive debut. Last patient Marcus Thuram and full-back Rami Bensbini missed, while long-term injured Jonas Hoffmann and Alasan Bley were off the bench as wild cards. Otherwise everyone was on board.
Although only a quarter of the 20,000 fans were allowed into the Fritz-Walter-Stadion, the atmosphere was great when the whistle blew. Lutheran’s supporters, who have not been spoiled for success in recent years, saw their side sprinting forward: Rene Klingenberg missed a simple shot after nearly 30 seconds, and a straight-through combination via Kenny Redondo (fifth) was only able to defuse Gladbach goalkeeper Jan Sommer.
Gladbach took over
But a competitor to Europe would not be a competitor to Europe if he could not use his great class effectively. An attack initiated by top scorer Stindl himself led to the lead, and the captain managed a cross from winger Patrick Hermann as a good method. At first it was noticeably quieter among FCK fans.
It was even hotter in the arena when Klingenberg and Stindl clashed. The short but fierce duel resulted in a group of about 15 people. Referee Harm Osmers acted cautiously and showed both players in yellow.
In terms of sports, a lively cup fight also developed, in which the hosts had the best chances and repeatedly failed due to the strong summer. He could have raised Hermann and Stefan Leiner earlier for Borussia. Even after the change, both teams played bravely forward, but Gladbach is now increasingly in control. But because in addition to the summer, FC K goalkeeper Matthew Raab was having a great day, it ended up with a slim 1-0 win.