Pre-Match Report
Borussia vs. Borussia: possible absences, special praise and a prestigious clash
The scenario
Last weekend, BVB secured their place in the Champions League. Now the Black & Yellows can clinch the runners-up spot. If Borussia win and Leipzig fail to win in Leverkusen, second place – which they have held since matchday 15 – will be theirs for the taking. It would be their eighth second-place finish in 14 years and their tenth runners-up spot overall.
The team picked up three more points with a 4-0 home win against Freiburg. For Kovac, the first half was one of the best of the season: “The first half was very dominant as we played with great intensity and were very aggressive. We pressed the opposition high up the pitch, kept them away from our goal and played really good football.”
Last weekend’s match against Freiburg was the club’s 1,000th Bundesliga home game in its history. The 1,000th away game is now approaching in Mönchengladbach, and it will also be the 2,000th Bundesliga match in the club’s history. To date, BVB have celebrated 924 victories in the Bundesliga.
Personnel matters
There is good news regarding Karim Adeyemi, who took part in parts of the team training session on Thursday. Ramy Bensebaini picked up an injury against Freiburg and has not yet returned to training because of a swollen foot. Kovac does not expect the defender to be fit to play against his former club and names Luca Reggiani and Filippo Mane as his first-choice alternatives. The manager also said that things are looking better for Yan Couto and Jobe Bellingham, who had to sit out on Wednesday and Thursday due to illness. “But we think they’ll be fit for the weekend,” said Kovac, who also has good news regarding Felix Nmecha. “Felix is on the mend, but he hasn’t trained with the team yet either.” He is on track, but a return to action would still be too soon. Niklas Süle and Emre Can remain sidelined.
Special praise was reserved for the two youngsters, Samuele Inacio, who made his first-team debut against Freiburg, and Bundesliga debutant Mathis Albert: “The two lads weren’t actually in the plans for this season, but their development has shown us that not only are they giving it their all and have a lot of quality, but they are also accepted by the lads. If they carry on like this and they stay grounded, things will turn out very, very well here.”
The opponent
Borussia Mönchengladbach are 11th in the league, six points clear of the relegation play-off spot. The Foals have gone five games without a win. The team has won only two of their 14 fixtures since the winter break (against St. Pauli and Union Berlin). “I think Gladbach still need one or two points,” said Kovac. “It will be another intense match as two Borussia teams are playing against each other. It’s always a bit of a battle for prestige as well. We want to win the match because we still have nine points to play for.”
The Black & Yellows have gone six games unbeaten against Borussia from the Lower Rhine, most recently securing two home wins (2-0 in the reverse fixture and 3-2 last season). Their last victory in Mönchengladbach came in April 2024 as Marcel Sabitzer scored twice in the 2-1 win.
Borussia vs. Borussia
13 sports clubs in Germany bear the name Borussia – the Latin term for Prussia. On Sunday, the two best-known clubs sharing this name will face each other in the Bundesliga. The Borussia club from the Lower Rhine was founded on 1 August 1900 as “Fußball Club Borussia 1900” and was given this name for patriotic reasons. Nine years later, on 19 December 1909, Borussia Dortmund was founded in the pub “Zum Wildschütz”. The founding fathers were inspired by the Borussia Brewery, which was located on Steigerstraße.
Christina Reinke