Ahead of their clash away to Werder Bremen this weekend, Borussia Monchengladbach spent Thursday evening finding out who they would be facing in the Champions League group stage this season.
Having finished last season in third spot in the league, Die Fohlen entered this one full of confidence, but are yet to gain a point so far, after a chastening defeat to Dortmund and a narrow loss to Mainz.
At the end of the European draw ceremony, the outlook for the season ahead became moderately bleaker, as they were drawn in what was almost universally anointed with the ‘Group of Death’ adage. Thrown into the ring with Italian giants and last season’s finalists Juventus, English powerhouse Manchester City and Europa League winners Sevilla, Lucien Favre’s already tough task of juggling competitions was made exponentially harder.
Sporting director Max Eberl maintained an upbeat resolve, excited by the chance to be able to match some of the best teams in Europe.
Eberl: “We want to be a surprise package. We will get to play with the very best in Europe.” #UCLdraw #fohlenelf
— Borussia (@borussia_en) August 27, 2015
Electric wide-man Thorgan Hazard also sent out a tweet and included a series of emojis, indicating a differing level of confidence displayed by Eberl.
What a group ??⚽️?
— Thorgan Hazard (@HazardThorgan8) August 27, 2015
If that is an indicator of a lack of confidence in the playing group, then one of Favre’s major tasks will be instilling that drive back into them, that saw them take the Bundesliga by the horns last season. Player morale and motivation are arguably two of the most important factors in the success of a team, and with it already low following their poor start to the season, their group announcement will hardly have helped.
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After losing 4-0 to Dortmund in the opening round, Favre made a couple of changes against Mainz, notably playing Hazard up front in place of Josip Drmic, and the Belgian’s pace and directness helped with the creation of chances, albeit ones that were not finished.
With Hazard up front, he was able to drift in and out of position, interchanging with both Raffael in behind him but also wide men Ibrahima Traore and Patrick Herrmann. Having had more time in the system than new acquisition Drmic, the increased movement up front was clear and it would not be a surprise to see that tactic employed this weekend once more.
The midfield duo of Granit Xhaka and Lars Stindl looked vastly improved on the previous week and will pull the strings once more this weekend, as they orchestrate everything from their positions in the centre of the park.
Heading to Bremen this weekend, Favre and Eberl will be confident of a positive result, having beaten Bremen in both fixtures last season with a 6-1 aggregate score. Their 2-0 away win at Bremen was their first win at the Weserstadion since the late 1980s and they will look to continue that, rather than another 20-30 years between away jaunts.
Bremen sit only one point more advanced on the table from their opening two matches; a 1-1 draw with Hertha BSC last time out lifted them off the mark for this campaign. So while not a ‘must-win’ game this early in the season, this match represents an opportunity to lay down a marker that both teams can still cut it this season.
Monchengladbach fans will be desperate not to be seen as one-season wonders, who, after flying high and reaching the upper echelon of European competition, falter the season after with vastly different form. See the Liverpool side of 13-14, with their ultimately doomed title challenge, followed by a disappointing Champions League and Europe exit and dropping to sixth in the league table.
It is not all doom and gloom for Monchengladbach though, who have arguably managed to keep their core together, losing only Max Kruse, albeit a very talented and occasionally influential Kruse, to rivals Wolfsburg.
Only one point worse off so far than from the corresponding matches last season, it is not all over yet for Favre and his side, however another loss this weekend would only serve to compound morale issues. Heading into it, Favre must endeavor to keep his players’ heads up and focus on this match, rather than what lies ahead in Europe and beyond.
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