Borussia Mönchengladbach secured a 2-1 win against VfB Stuttgart, maintaining their hopes for European competition. Nathan Ngoumou scored first, followed by an equalizer from Stuttgart’s Nico Elvedi via an own goal. Tim Kleindienst clinched the victory for Gladbach late in the game. With this result, Gladbach is seventh in the Bundesliga, just one point shy of a European spot. Both teams now prepare for upcoming matches, with Stuttgart facing Dortmund and Gladbach hosting Eintracht Frankfurt.
Borussia Mönchengladbach Triumphs Over VfB Stuttgart
Borussia Mönchengladbach celebrated a hard-fought 2-1 victory against VfB Stuttgart on Saturday, keeping their ambitions for a European competition spot alive in the Bundesliga. Nathan Ngoumou opened the scoring for the visitors in the 25th minute. The equalizer came from an unfortunate own goal by Nico Elvedi just after halftime, but Tim Kleindienst sealed the win for Gladbach with a goal in the 81st minute.
Current Standings and Coach Insights
With this victory, Gladbach currently sits in seventh place with 30 points, trailing 1. FSV Mainz 05 by a single point for the first European qualification spot. The Champions League spot, held by VfB Stuttgart, is only two points away.
Gladbach’s head coach, Gerardo Seoane, shared his thoughts after the match, indicating that he drew inspiration from Stuttgart’s recent Champions League defeat to PSG: “In sports, such setbacks have an impact,” he remarked. “I used that to motivate the team and give them the energy they needed.”
Stuttgart’s coach, Sebastian Hoeneß, acknowledged the challenges faced during the match, stating, “We lacked finishing, despite having multiple chances to penetrate the final third. After the equalizer, we couldn’t apply pressure, and I find that disappointing.”
From the start, Gladbach displayed stronger momentum, with Kevin Stöger’s early chance thwarted by Alexander Nübel. After a quiet spell, Ermin Demirovic had an opportunity for Stuttgart, but it was Ngoumou who found the back of the net soon after, receiving a superb pass from Julian Weigl.
Despite their initial struggles, Stuttgart attempted to regroup in the second half, equalizing through an own goal by Elvedi. However, Gladbach quickly regained control and continued to push for the lead.
Missed chances loomed large for Gladbach when Chris Führich broke free, only to be denied by goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas. The tension continued until nine minutes before the end when Lukas Ullrich’s cross set up Kleindienst for the decisive goal. Gladbach held on tightly to their lead, with a late goal from Deniz Undav being disallowed for offside.
Looking ahead, Stuttgart will face Dortmund on Saturday, February 8, while also preparing for a DFB-Pokal match against FC Augsburg on February 4. Meanwhile, Gladbach, with no cup fixture, is gearing up to host Eintracht Frankfurt in an important Bundesliga clash on February 8.