Foals beaten by SC Freiburg | OneFootball

The Foals started the game well in front of 53,259 spectators at BORUSSIA-PARK and created the first big chances of the game. After Gladbach failed to convert these though, the visitors took the lead through Michael Gregoritsch in the seventh minute. Gerardo Seoane’s side were not deterred by the early goal and continued to mount attacks afterwards. The Foals however lacked composure and precision at the final moment, and went into half time with nothing to show for their endeavours.

The second half began with another painful blow for the Foals. Just three minutes after the start of the second period, Merlin Röhl added a second for Freiburg. Just ten minutes later, Ritsu Doan made it 3-0 to SCF. Borussia kept pushing afterwards, but failed to find a goal.

TEAM NEWS

Gladbach captain Jonas Omlin made his return to competitive football after around seven months out following a shoulder operation, and started in place of Moritz Nicolas. Ko Itakura and Luca Netz also came in for Stefan Lainer and Max Wöber, who had started the 1-1 draw at 1. FC Heidenheim before the international break. Joe Scally, Nico Elvedi, Itakura and Netz therefore made up the back four in front of Omlin. Julian Weigl, Rocco Reitz and Florian Neuhaus were the midfield, while Franck Honorat, Robin Hack and Jordan manned the attack.

In addition to Jonas Omlin, Alassane Plea and Tomáš Čvančara also returned to the Foals’ squad after injury lay-offs, and the latter two came off the bench in the final phases of the game. Manu Koné, who picked up a thigh strain in a France U23 friendly, was unavailable to head coach Gerardo Seoane.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS

2’: First good opportunity for Borussia! Hack cuts inside from the left and plays it to Neuhaus. He moves it on to Hack, who fires just wide of the post from around 20 yards.

7’: The visitors take the lead with their first chance of the game. Röhl plays a long ball to Eggestein, who advances towards goal from around 15 yards out. His shot is deflected, but falls dangerously in the six-yard-box, where Gregoritsch is there to force the ball over the line for 1-0.

12’: Netz puts in a cross that finds Reitz. It looks like he’ll just have to slot home from close range, but Eggestein is there to block at the final moment.

31’: Elvedi heads onto the roof of the net from Honorat’s corner.

45’: Scally cuts inside from the right and finds Neuhaus. The midfielder strikes it from around 20 yards, but Atubolu tips it over the bar.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS

48’: Freiburg extend their lead. Gregoritsch shoots after receiving the ball from Höler. Omlin saves, but the ball lands at the feet of Röhl, who hits it into the bottom corner first time and it’s 2-0.

57’: The visitors attack quickly. Doan backheels the ball to Eggestein, who advances to the touchline and plays it back to the Japanese, who turns home unchallenged from close range to make it 3-0.

86’: A Foals corner causes havoc once again. Itakura’s header is though touched over by Atubolu.

STATISTICS

Borussia: Omlin, Scally (Lainer 75’), Elvedi (Wöber 70’) Itakura, Netz, Weigl, Reitz, Neuhaus (Plea 61’), Honorat, Hack (Ngoumou 61’), Jordan (Čvančara 61’) // Unused substitutes: Nicolas, Friedrich, Herrmann, Kramer

Freiburg: Atubolu, Keitel (Szalai 75’), Gulde, Kübler, Doan, M. Eggestein, Höfler (Muslija 90+2’), Günter (Makengo 90+2’), Röhl, Gregoritsch (Grifo 75’), Höler (Adamu 90+1’) // Unused substitutes: F. Müller, Sildillia, Philipp, Breunig

Goals: 0-1 Gregoritsch (7’), 0-2 Röhl (48’), 0-3 Doan (57’)

Yellow cards: Itakura

Referee: Christian Dingert (Lebecksmühle)

Attendance: 53,259