Hertha Berlin 4-2 Borussia Monchengladbach
There are few people who would argue with you if you say that the Bundesliga is one of the most exciting football leagues in all of the world. The German top flight has produced plenty of unforgettable moments that would have any sports fan immediately fall in love with the beautiful game.
The fourth round already saw plenty of intriguing Bundesliga 2018 results happen that already has plenty of football fans buzzing and raving about the quality of action the league has to offer. However, I think everyone can agree that the most outstanding result of the weekend so far has to be the high-scoring duel between Hertha Berlin and Borussia Monchengladbach.
The 51,852 fans present at the Olympiastadion experienced a rollercoaster of emotions as the 90-minute affair saw six goals come in from both sides. To the delight of the home crowd, it’s their team that managed to pull off an incredible show as they are the ones who managed to come away with the three points.
This is definitely one match that plenty of Bundesliga and SBOBET fans will be buzzing about for the next couple of days. After all, it’s not every day that we get to see such a high-scoring game like this!
Highlights of the game
The match between these two unbeaten sides began with the guests putting on a strong impression. Thorgan Hazard attempted a dangerous attack in the fourth minute. Eden Hazard’s brother weaved through the Berlin defence to get into the box and fire a shot that narrowly missed the target.
It didn’t take long or Hertha Berlin to return a warning shot, though. Ondrej Duda managed to get hold of a precise cross to the box and head it towards goal, but the shot attempt flew wide of the goal.
Die Fohlen soon began to take control of the pace of the game and began hounding the defence to make them make a mistake and open up for scoring opportunities. Their complete control of the ball forced the Blue-Whites to foul hard.
The first real scoring opportunity came in the 28th minute when Niklas Stark tripped a Monchengladbach player inside the box. Referee Markus Schmidt pointed to the spot, and Hazard coolly converted the penalty by aiming at the top of the goal mouth.
However, it didn’t take long for the dejected Berlin fans to feel confident as Berlin immediately equalised. Marvin Plattenhardt produced a beautiful cross from the left. Vedad Ibisevic headed the ball towards the opposite direction, far beyond the outstretched hands of Yann Sommer.
The stands weren’t allowed time to mull over Ibisevic’s goal as the Old Lady struck again to give them the lead. Javairo Dilrosun lofted another cross from the left side of the field. This time, it was Valentino Lazaro who headed the ball to the far post. There was nothing the Switzerland keeper could do as he was caught out of position.
Berlin ended the first half in smiles as they had multiple chances to double their lead before the first half ended. They saw less of the ball in the second half due to Monchengladbach’s desperation to catch up, though.
Gladbach, who were clinical against Schalke last week, soon found themselves on the back foot when the Blue-Whites caught them unawares for a 63rd-minute counter. Salomon Kalou blitzed up the right, held the ball to wait for reinforcements, and passed fed the ball to a rushing Ibisevic who easily scored his brace from a yard away.
It seemed for a bit that Berlin would be celebrating or the rest of the game when Monchengladbach got them at the edge of their seats again. Patrick Herrmann sent a brilliantly unassuming cross into the box. Alassane Plea connected with the ball and headed a powerful ball towards the goal. It bounced kindly off the crossbar and into the net.
Things seemingly got worse for the Olympiastadion when Marko Grujic had to be subbed out due to injury. However, Dilrosun and Duda ended the game with the winner on 73 minutes. The Dutch winger attracted the defence with his dribble, passed the ball to the open striker. The Slovakian attacker had enough daylight to target his shot and slot it past Sommer.
Berlin are now one of the five remaining Bundesliga clubs that haven’t lost a game. The resilient spirit they showcased against Wolfsburg is handed out in spades this game, and plenty of Berlin fans left the stadium happy that their team won another tough match.
Key statistics
The teams were fairly equal when it came to possession, but Berlin’s home advantage became obvious when you look at the attacking stats. The Blue-Whites had 16 shot attempts compared to Monchengladbach’s 13. They also had seven shots on target, three more than Die Fohlen.
They were also equally impressive on the defensive end. They blocked five of Monchengladbach’s five goals, made fewer fouls than the opposition, and made 14 tackles.
At the helm of the backline is the young defensive star, Arne Maier. The 19-year-old was a solid rock on defence, leading the team with four tackles, two aerials won and a 7.44 rating. This stat line completely justifies the interest Europe’s biggest clubs have on the young prospect.
What’s next?
Borussia Monchengladbach will have a chance to redeem themselves against Eintracht Frankfurt. The Eagles haven’t had the best start to the season, and it should be completely easy for Dieter Hecking’s men to overwhelm their guests and return on the win column.
Meanwhile, Pal Dardai’s Hertha Berlin will be making the trip to Northwestern Germany to face another overachieving side in Werder Bremen. Of course, the Bundesliga 2018 odds may not look great for them on this game. However, I have more than enough reason to believe that they can get the three points on hostile territory.
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