Champions League-Ready Monchengladbach Send a Message with Bayern Munich Win
The last time Borussia Monchengladbach finished among the top four of the Bundesliga, they failed to justify their inclusion in the Champions League. Facing Dynamo Kyiv in a playoff qualifier in the fall of 2012, Lucien Favre's side lost, 4-3, on aggregate.
Despite showing considerable potential, the summer departures of Marco Reus, Dante and Roman Neustadter were critical; and the club's inexperience on such a stage showed.
Following Sunday's win away to Bayern Munich, it appears that Gladbach will make their next foray into the Champions League. And this time, it appears, they may be up for the task. Lucien Favre's side managed on Sunday to do something even the great Gladbach sides of the late 1970s failed to do: Beat Bayern in Munich.
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In fact, it's a feat the Fohlen had only achieved twice before in their history, in 1995 and 2011. They beat the league leaders and in the process became only the second team to shut out Bayern in 56 home games.
Following Leverkusen's win against Schalke on Saturday, Gladbach's result in Munich saw them move eight points clear of the Gelsenkirchen side, who stand fifth. With just eight games left to play, it's hard to imagine the Fohlen not finishing at least in a position to qualify for a Champions League play-off.
And standing two points clear of Leverkusen in third, the odds are good that Favre's men will qualify outright for Europe's elite club competition.
Gladbach enjoyed a bit of luck on their way to victory, with Franck Ribery missing the match through injury and Arjen Robben being forced off early in the first half. Raffael's opener was at the end of a good counter-attack, but the Brazilian's finish wasn't the most accurate and only crossed the goal line after an exceptionally rare blunder by Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Even so, Gladbach fully deserved their win. They still played against world-class opponents like Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller and David Alaba, and they managed to hold their hosts. Although Bayern had their chances to score, the Fohlen defended valiantly and were dangerous on the counter-attack.
Raffael's second goal was fully deserved, finishing another outstanding counter-attack that underlined just how special a player Christoph Kramer is. Formally a defensive player, the Germany international saw free space in the Bayern defense and raced forward, latching onto a through ball and setting up his team-mate with all the precision of a playmaker.
Just as Kramer transcended the concept of position, Raffael transcended his sleight stature in playing his centre-forward role with decisive effect. The 29-year-old, along with Max Kruse, Patrick Herrmann, Thorgan Hazard and Andre Hahn in particular, may not have all the characteristics of a traditional centre-forward but is a terror to play against in counterattacking situation.
Gladbach's ability to keep a clean sheet in Munich is a huge accomplishment and speaks well for the club's preparedness for Champions League football.
They won't have high expectations next season, and the onus will be on bigger clubs to score, as was the case for Bayern in Sunday's match. Gladbach have kept 16 clean sheets in the Bundesliga this season and concede an average of just 0.8 goals per game. Their defense is extraordinary. If they are able to frustrate Bayern and force the German giants to throw players forward, they can do the same to any club.
Europe beware.
A lot can happen between now and the fall, and the upcoming transfer window could be huge for Gladbach. Kramer's return to Leverkusen following his loan will be a huge loss, and the fact that the club will see him leave without receiving any compensation will make his departure sting even more.
It's possible that other high-achieving Gladbach players will be targets for transfers as well, just as Reus, Dante and Neustadter were when they last achieved a top-four finish.
The last time Gladbach had a chance to play in the Champions League, their summer signings weren't ready to perform at a high level. Luuk de Jong was a failure at Borussia-Park, and Granit Xhaka and Alejandro Dominguez hadn't quite settled. This time, any new signings will have to be ready to have an immediate effect.
There are some considerable hurdles for Favre and Gladbach to overcome if they are to make a better impression of themselves in Europe next season. Still, Sunday's performance was a real signal of intent. It wasn't just any Bundesliga match; it was their toughest test of the season.
Against one of Europe's very best clubs and away from home. And Gladbach played like champions. If they can replicate that performance in Europe next season, they'll be extremely hard to beat.
