4 Talking Points: Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 Bayern Munich

Ferdie
Manuel Neuer saw very little of the action yet conceded two
Manuel Neuer saw very little of the action yet conceded two

Borussia Monchengladbach remain top of the table in style as they found an extra gear in the second half to beat Bayern Munich right at the death. Coming from behind to win is always special but they will take further joy in the fact that this win comes against defending champions.

Almost the entire first half was spent in Monchengladbach's half as Bayern put the pressure on their goal but only came away with one goal to show for it. The home side started the second half in a similar fashion, but Ivan Perisic's opener in the 49th minute seemed to turn the match on its head.

It was almost like someone had taken the leash off Marco Rose's team and they were a different prospect, one that went forward and clawed back an equaliser. Bayern attempted multiple times to catch Monchengladbach unaware at the back but the defence was switched on, unlike Javi Martinez whose late tackle in the box conceded the penalty and earned him his second yellow in stoppage time.

The goal came too late for Bayern to even try and do much about it and handed what seems like a crucial win in a closely contested Bundesliga season.

Bensebaini's heroics

Bensebaini showed immense character on the pitch
Bensebaini showed immense character on the pitch

Many things were expected of Thuram, Plea, and others in the Monchengladbach, but little would've been said about Ramy Bensebaini. The Algerian was crucial to Monchengladbach's turnaround as he ran onto a corner to bring them level and then completed the comeback in the last few seconds of stoppage time to dispatch a penalty under pressure.

What, perhaps, won't be remembered is that for large parts of the game Monchengladbach were under fire from Bayern's wing-focused attack and the left-back was a key figure in keeping them at bay.

Profligate Bayern Munich

Hansi Flick's promising start is beginning to dissipate
Hansi Flick's promising start is beginning to dissipate

Perhaps statistics don't tell the whole story, but Bayern Munich were absolutely rampant for about two-thirds of the game. They registered 16 shots in the game, 5 of which were on target, but only had a single goal to show for it.

The likes of Ivan Perisic, Thomas Muller, and Joshua Kimmich all had a fairly good game. they didn't get much particularly wrong and created chances, but they failed to finish them off. Robert Lewandowski hardly ever got into a threatening position and was limited to shooting from the edge of the box.

The few times they did get through, their shots were off target and poor, except the turn and shot by Perisic that found the back of the net. It's also harsh on Yann Sommer who had a good game to say that Bayern were poor in front of goal, but the Bavarians will surely rue the missed chances.

Monchengladbach's second-half resurgence

The first half display left a lot to be desired from Borussia Monchengladbach
The first half display left a lot to be desired from Borussia Monchengladbach

Manuel Neuer hardly even made an appearance in the first 45 minutes, such was the dominance of Bayern Munich. However, there were only a couple of moments when they really seemed to trouble Borussia Monchengladbach.

Marco Rose's team have been a counter-attacking force to reckon with all season but they were given no opportunities to break in the first half. Hansi Flick's team seemed to be in complete control as the home team hardly had a look in the other half.

It all seemed to shift after Ivan Perisic's goal. Suddenly the front line was pressing upfront and they were recovering the ball high up the pitch and running at the backline. Their pace and danger on the break suddenly became apparent and now it was Bayern's turn to defend, which they did fairly well, but weren't able to entirely contain the threat.

Bensebaini may have got the double, but Plea, Zakaria, and Thuram also deserve a fair share of the credit.

A difference of millimetres and seconds

Yann Sommer showed immense presence of mind
Yann Sommer showed immense presence of mind

This will be a nightmare for Bayern Munich and their fans. Their performance could've earned them a draw at least if not more, but a few moments changed the game for them.

Bayern fans will particularly look back at Yann Sommer's immense presence of mind to reach for the ball as it was about to roll completely over the line. Bayern players were convinced that it had gone over but the goal-line technology showed that Sommer had kept his side in it by millimetres.

If they could get that out of their minds, Javi Martinez who replaced Jerome Boateng in Bayern's backline was only a fraction of a second away from making a superb tackle but Thuram pushed the ball past him and the Spaniard ended up conceding a penalty and getting sent off for his second bookable offence.

Come the end of the season, these may be iconic moments that Bayern fans may look back on and imagine what might have been.

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Edited by Sai Teja