With both of the other sides that started Matchday 19 in the relegation zone picking up points yesterday, the pressure has shifted back to Borussia Mönchengladbach to kick on after their victory last week away to Nürnberg. A win for ‘Gladbach would move them to just three points from safety before St. Pauli (who dropped into sixteenth after Cologne’s surprising win over Werder Bremen) play Hoffenheim in the late Sunday kickoff.
Borussia Mönchengladbach Vs. Bayer Leverkusen: Pre-Match Primer
For Bayer Leverkusen this match is a great opportunity to get back on track after being thrashed by Borussia Dortmund last week, and Jupp Heynckes’s side can retake second place on goal difference with a draw after Hannover 96 and Mainz 05 both lost on Saturday. Leverkusen will certainly fancy themselves here, as they have the second-best away record in the Bundesliga, and they’ll be facing the team with the worst home record -- ‘Gladbach have yet to win a home game in the Bundesliga this season.
These two sides have already met twice this season, with Borussia winning a crazy 3-6 match back in August and sending Leverkusen out of the DFB-Pokal on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Borussia-Park. Although the head-to-head this season between these sides favours ‘Gladbach, Bayer should win comfortably, as there are few defences in top-flight European football as poor as Mönchengladbach’s.
Borussia Mönchengladbach: Heimeroth; Stranzl, Dante, Daems, Nordveit; Neustädter; Marx, Idrissou, Reus; Hanke, De Camargo
Subs: Arango, Bradley, Matmour, Anderson, Herrmann, Jantschke, ter Stegen
Bayer Leverkusen: Adler; Hyypia, Reinartz, Kadlec, Schwaab; Rolfes, Vidal, Castro, Sam; Kießling, Augusto
Subs: Giefer, Jørgensen, Balitsch, Ballack, Vida, Da Costa, Derdiyok
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