Gladbach look up for a contest early on
With Lars Stindl played in a more advanced forward position, Gladbach began to press early and after an early Marwin Hitz save from a Dahoud shot, Fabian Johnson made the energy count with a well-taken goal. Shortly after, he forced Kostas Stafylidis into a poorly-timed tackle for a yellow, as Gladbach forced the visitors into early mistakes and errors on the ball. Stindl’s presence higher-up, alongside the pace of Johnson and Herrman out wide was the catalyst for the positive start, and with Granit Xhaka’s perfect header after 17 minutes, Gladbach had the start they needed.
READ MORE: Bundesliga Team of the Week – Matchday 6
Augsburg struggle to cope with high pressure
From the outset as Gladbach looked to press, Augsburg’s midfield and backline struggled to cope with the closing of space, surrendering possession far too often and allowing the hosts chances. Daniel Baier and Dominik Kohr were given little time on the ball as they sat in front of the defence, and punting it up-field merely gave it over and brought on a new wave of attack. A similar problem to what Gladbach suffered recently, a higher midfield line would allow for a bit more breathing room ahead of the defence and a further outlet of possession when under pressure. With Augsburg suffering their fourth loss of the season, it is high time that Markus Weinzierl makes some changes.
ICYMI: #USMNT star Fabian Johnson scores as Gladbach collect first win, move out of Bundesliga cellar. WATCH: https://t.co/ZGVUGtHe4Z
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) September 24, 2015
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