BUNDESLIGA PLAYER RATINGS | Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-6 Eintracht Frankfurt | OneFootball

After their first game under head coach Eugen Polanski ended in a 1-1 draw, Borussia Mönchengladbach were still looking for their first win of the season against Eintracht Frankfurt, who lost 4-3 to Union Berlin last weekend.

Things looked bleak under Gerardo Seoane, which suggested that the bar was low in terms of performances. Somehow, die Fohlen managed to sink even further.

In the 11th minute, Robin Koch headed in a corner to make it 1-0, then only four minutes later, Ansgar Knauff would make it 2-0, already putting Gladbach on the back foot. With it already looking bad, it would get even worse as Gladbach’s non-existent midfield allowed Jonathan Burkardt to make it 3-0 (this isn’t the end yet). Things would get even worse when Farès Chaïbi made it 4-0.

Polanski would make two substitutions before the 40th minute to try to fix things. But it couldn’t go on like this, could it?

It can.

The man of the moment, Can Uzun, made it 5-0 for Frankfurt just before half-time.

It looked as if things were going to get worse for Gladbach when Robin Koch scored his second of the game to make it 6-0. Die Fohlen were well on their way to suffering their worst defeat in their history, which is an 8-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund in 1953. However, Gladbach would be saved by the incompetence of VAR. Yannik Engelhardt would handle the ball in the box, doing his best Dennis Schröder impersonation, but the video assistant referee would not check the decision or even call the ref over to the monitor.

Gladbach showed life in the 73rd minute when Jens Castrop made it 6-1. Then, in a similar scenario to his goal last week, Haris Tabakovic made it 2-0. In the 83rd minute, Engelhardt would then make it 6-3, prompting you and me to think, they couldn’t? could they?.

They couldn’t.

Die Fohlen left it too late as Grant-Leon Ranos scored his first Bundesliga goal for the club to make it 6-4. Granted, the result has saved Gladbach’s blushes, but things run a lot deeper.

Gladbach’s need for a refresh:

As pointed out in the GGFN Substack, the club have made several mistakes over the years, and it is catching up to them now. Some players in the squad simply are not good enough to be in the team, and of the good players that have left, Gladbach have failed to replace them.

After the removal of Seoane, the result today shows that the rot at Borussia Park is bigger than initially thought. Changes regarding the head coach are now needed – Roland Virkus and Rainer Bonhof. Both have been great servants to the club, but there comes a time, like in Cars 3, where you cannot compete with your peers anymore. Gladbach are in danger of losing their place not only at the top of German football, but in the Bundesliga altogether if changes are not made sooner.

The ironic thing is, their opponent is where Gladbach should be looking for inspiration.

Frankfurt’s vulnerability in defence:

Frankfurt have made itself into a model club when it comes to how they manage the transfer market as well as how well they are run. Cheap signings such as Can Uzun and Fares Chaibi shone this evening and will likely be sold for more money. For Gladbach, these players would end up leaving on a free transfer.

On the pitch, this performance once again showed there are warning signs about Frankfurt’s defence. In two games, they have now conceded eight goals, which is unsustainable. The positives of such a young team are their gung-ho-ness. The negative is that they are so wide open and lack the maturity to see out games, as shown today.

Frankfurt’s next game will be their biggest test – Bayern Munich.

Borussia Mönchengladbach:

Moritz Nicolas (2) – Kevin Diks (3), Nico Elvedi (3), Fabio Chiarodia (2) – Joe Scally (4), Rocco Reitz (4), Yannik Engelhardt (5), Lukas Ullrich (4) – Kevin Stöger (2), Jens Castrop (5) – Shuto Machino (4)

Others: Florian Neuhaus (6), Haris Tabakovic (6), Philipp Sander (5), Luca Netz (5), Grant-Leon Ranos (-)

Eintracht Frankfurt:

Kaua Santos (4) – Nnmadi Collins (5), Robin Koch (6), Arthur Theate (5), Nathanial Brown (5),  – Ellyes Skhiri (5), Fares Chaïbi (8) – Ritsu Doan (7), Can Uzun (7), Ansgar Knauff (6) – Jonathan Burkardt (7)

Others: Oscar Højlund (5), Aurelio Buta (5), Mario Götze (5), Elye Wahi (5), Aurele Amenda (5)

GGFN Player of the Match: Farès Chaïbi (8)

Can Uzun has received all of the plaudits this season, but Chaïbi has flown under the radar. Last season, he struggled to break into the starting 11, and at one point, it looked as if he was set to leave, but in the summe,r he adapted a deeper role next to Hugo Larsson in the midfield, and it has unlocked new life in him.

The Algerian (via FotMob) created six chances this evening, on top of his two assists and goal in the first half. Chaïbi’s performance suggests that he could be as big a miss as Ellyes Skhiri when the Africa Cup of Nations returns later this year.

GGFN | Jack Meenan