In the lead-up to the opening round of the Bundesliga this weekend, Outisde90’s David Jordan takes a look at last season’s surprise third place finishers Borussia Monchengladbach.
Summer Transfers
Drawing towards the end of a window arguably quieter than last season, the Foals have made a couple of key signings to bolster their squad ahead of European football commitments, most notably Josip Drmic. The centre-forward arrived early from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of around €10 million, while earlier during the season attacking-midfielder Thorgan Hazard’s loan from Chelsea was made permanent, a coup for the German side. Meanwhile, young defenders Nico Elvedi and Andreas Christensen arrived from FC Zurich and Chelsea respectively, with the London club’s youngster on a two-year loan deal.
Last Season
During the 2014-15 campaign Monchengladbach surprised almost everyone, maintaining strong form almost the entire way through to sit third in the Bundesliga. That finish ensured qualification for Champions League football in Europe this season, having competed in the Europa League alongside their domestic stint last time around.
Their run to the upper-echelons of the table was highlighted by strong, counter-attacking play, and a positive record against eventual champions Bayern Munich – a 0-0 draw at home before a wonderful 2-0 away win at the Allianz arena. Regarded as a largely successful season, it paved the way for a lot of fan optimism for the coming campaign.
Manager
Appointed in February of 2011, Swiss manager Lucien Favre has dragged Monchengladbach up from the depths of the table to Champions League football. His compact, counter-based version of 4-4-2 has often been likened to that of Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid, but with a less physical edge.
While other German teams use the ‘gegenpressing’ system to extreme lengths, Favre’s setup relies on a more measured pressing approach, looking to force the player on the ball into a defensive pass or an error, rather than rushing and trying to dispossess. Currently contracted until 2017, the Swiss is a favourite amongst the Gladbach fans, and looks set to hang around for a reasonable stint at Borussia-Park.
Strengths
One of the major strengths of the side is Favre’s consistent use of the same group of players, leading to the development of great chemistry among the side. The understanding between players means everyone knows their job on the pitch and the roles of each other, allowing the coach’s setup to work so well.
His ability to tinker with the system, creating an advantage in particular games is also a big part of Favre’s arsenal. However, the problem with this in the coming season will be the need for rotation due to European fixtures. How this will affect the team’s fluency remains to be seen.
Weaknesses
While attaining a brilliant defensive record last season, one of Monchengladbach’s weaker areas was a lack of firepower and finishing up front. The club have looked to address this over the summer with the signing of Drmic, whose finishing touch will hopefully add goals to an attack full of talented creators. The loss of loanee Christoph Kramer was offset by the acquisition of Lars Stindl, yet issues remain in the form of the so-called ‘European hangover’.
Monchengladbach struggled with recovery following Europa League fixtures during the last campaign, and this season have outings against the likes of Schalke, Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen soon after European ties. Making sure the squad stays able to run out 90 minutes will be key, and will challenge Favre’s usual reluctance to rotate.
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Key Player
While the addition of Drmic almost automatically notes him down as a key player, Granit Xhaka is the man who holds the Foals’ core together, and will be just about the most important man on the pitch this season. The Swiss youngster anchors the midfield, and provides a link between the defence and the attack, as Favre’s system uses short, quick passing to move the ball forward.
One of the strongest, and most consistent central-midfielders in the league last season, the performance of the side will likely correlate with how well Xhaka plays, and having him push the side through domestic and European fixtures will be a key part of creating momentum.
Best XI
4-4-2 (4-4-1-1)
Sommer; Wendt, Janschke, Stranzl, Korb; Hermann, Stindl, Xhaka, Hazard; Raffael; Drmic
Prediction
While Gladbach competed in Europe last season, the Champions League will represent a step-up in quality and physicality, meaning Favre and his men will need to find another gear across the board. The abundance of tough fixtures will undoubtedly take its toll, and while the Foals will unlikely make it past the round of 16, post-Europe effects may continue into the new year, giving the side a big challenge.
Because of this, and the competitiveness of the Bundesliga’s top six or so this year, it is hard to see them having another run like 2014-15, and should instead finish in fourth or fifth place.
League Prediction: 4th
Champions League: Round of 16
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