Bayern, Gladbach renew rivalry in Bundesliga after Euro wins
NAN-S-9
Rivalry
Berlin, Oct. 20, 2016 (dpa/NAN) Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich welcome Borussia Moenchengladbach in a classic encounter late on Saturday while Hertha Berlin host Cologne in a clash between surprise packages.
Only in Munich could one defeat in 10 competitive games and a place at the top of the table be considered a mini-crisis but Bayern were under pressure going into Wednesday’s Champions League win over PSV Eindhoven.
“It was a good reaction from my players,’’ coach Carlo Ancelotti said of the 4-1 victory which ended a three-game winless streak.
“The attitude was right, the (last drawn) match against Frankfurt was a good lesson for us.’’
Previously Bayern had been held domestically by both Eintracht Frankfurt and Cologne along with losing in Europe at Atletico Madrid.
“It was fun today,’’ forward Thomas Mueller said. “We wanted to turn in a better display than in the last few matches.’’
Gladbach have also had a mixed time of things recently with the frustration of a goalless draw with 10-man SV Hamburg last weekend lifted by a superb 2-0 win at Celtic in the Champions League midweek.
“We put the game on Saturday against Hamburg behind us quickly and only looked forward – this is how we’re going to go on,’’ Andre Hahn said.
Ninth-placed Gladbach remain short of the level reached in their glory days of the 1970s but have offered stiff resistance to Bayern in recent years.
The Foals have lost only once in their last four meetings with the German record champions and have won two of these meetings.
Earlier Saturday eyes will be on the capital where second-placed Cologne visit fourth-placed Hertha with only a point separating the teams. Unbeaten Cologne can even go top – for a few hours at least – with victory.
“At this stage of the season I suppose it is a top match, but in 10 weeks it could all look very different,’’ Cologne coach Peter Stoeger told the club homepage, adding that with his team winless in Berlin since 2009 he would be content with a draw.
Hertha made a positive start to last season before fading to miss out on the Champions League spots so are cautious despite another strong opening.
“We have not set ourselves a table-place as a target rather 45 points,’’ midfielder Mitchell Weiser told the club website.
“This is the task we want to reach. We want to confirm or even improve our efforts from last season.’’
Third-place RB Leipzig do not play until Sunday when they host improving Werder Bremen before Germany’s Europa League representatives, Schalke and Mainz, face off in Gelsenkirchen.
The weekend action opens on Friday with winless Hamburg in desperate need of a victory at home to Frankfurt.
The northerners are the only original Bundesliga club never to have been relegated but, sitting 17th and having scored only twice, already seem set for another battle for survival.
“That we haven’t scored so many goals at the minute is known to everyone.’’ coach Markus Gisdol said.
“That’s in the papers every day. Of course we’re working on this topic.’’
Saturday’s other games are Bayer Leverkusen v Hoffenheim, bottom-club Ingolstadt v Borussia Dortmund, Freiburg v Augsburg and Darmstadt v Wolfsburg, led by interim coach Valerien Ismael after the departure of Dieter Hecking this week. (dpa/NAN)
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