Augsburg continue European charge with convincing win over Borussia Mönchengladbach
Augsburg remain in contention for a European place after Michael Gregoritsch's brace helped secure a comfortable win over Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Augsburg 3-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Goals: 1-0 Gregoritsch 24’, 2-0 Fellhauer 42’ (assist: Kömür), 3-0 Gregoritsch 72’, 3-1 Reyna 90’+2 (assist: Reitz)
Augsburg entered this final home fixture of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season in fine form, unbeaten in five matches and with an outside chance of reaching seventh place and a UEFA Conference League spot. Head coach Manuel Baum made three changes to the side that won 3-1 at Werder Bremen, with Marius Wolf, Kristijan Jakić, and Mert Kömür coming into the starting XI.
Borussia Mönchengladbach, meanwhile, arrived having secured their Bundesliga status the previous week, with Eugen Polanski making two changes - Kevin Diks and Shuto Machino starting in place of the suspended Nico Elvedi and the injured Haris Tabaković. A sold-out WWK Arena, with 30,660 supporters, provided a vibrant backdrop for the occasion.
The opening exchanges were fairly even, with both sides feeling each other out. Dimitrios Giannoulis showed early intent down the left flank, though his attempted cross was overhit. Gladbach had a moment of their own when a cross from Joe Scally at the back post was cleared by Chrislain Matsima before Kevin Stöger fired wide from range. However, the game was disrupted in the 13th minute when Giannoulis went down clutching his left thigh and was unable to continue. Fellhauer was introduced as his replacement in the 14th minute.
The substitution proved to be a turning point. In the 24th minute, Fabian Rieder played a superb through ball from the centre into the path of the newly-introduced Fellhauer on the left. Fellhauer's shot from a tight angle struck the onrushing goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas and rebounded into the six-yard box, where Gregoritsch reacted quickest to roll the ball into the empty net.
Augsburg's dominance continued, and Gregoritsch nearly doubled his tally moments later, only to be denied by the VAR for a marginal offside in the 28th minute. Kömür also tested Nicolas on 32 minutes, but the Gladbach goalkeeper was equal to the effort.
Augsburg continued to press and were rewarded with a second goal just before the interval. In the 42nd minute, Kömür drove forward through midfield and slipped the ball out to the overlapping Fellhauer on the left. With neither Franck Honorat nor Philipp Sander closing him down, Fellhauer found himself one-on-one with Nicolas and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom-right corner from around eleven metres. The half ended 2-0 to the hosts, a scoreline that fully reflected their superiority.
Gladbach had barely threatened, and Stöger's long-range effort that narrowly missed the post in the 21st minute was as close as they came. In first-half stoppage time, Nicolas also produced a fine save to deny Kömür's header. Joe Scally received a yellow card in the 45th minute for protesting to the referee.
Gladbach made one change at the interval, bringing on Lukas Ullrich for Honorat. The second half began with Augsburg still looking the more dangerous side. Anton Kade was particularly lively, skipping past defenders down the right before being denied by Nicolas in the 49th minute. Gladbach responded with a triple substitution on 58 minutes — Giovanni Reyna, Robin Hack, and Hugo Bolin came on for Stöger, Wael Mohya, and Fabio Chiarodia.
Yellow cards were shown to Wolf and then to both Philipp Sander and Kristijan Jakić after a brief altercation. Jakić's booking was his fifth of the season, ruling him out of Augsburg's final match. Augsburg responded with a double change of their own, introducing Yannik Keitel and Han-Noah Massengo for Wolf and Jakić on 62 minutes. A second goal for Fellhauer was disallowed for offside in the 69th minute, but the hosts were not to be denied.
The decisive third goal arrived in the 72nd minute. Kömür cut inside from the left and attempted a shot from distance, which Nicolas could only parry to the side. Gregoritsch was perfectly positioned to tap in from close range, completing his brace and effectively ending the contest. Augsburg then made further changes, with Alexis Claude-Maurice and Rodrigo Ribeiro replacing Kömür and Gregoritsch on 79 minutes to a warm ovation from the home supporters.
Gladbach substitute Alejo Sarco came on for Machino in the 87th minute. In the second minute of stoppage time, Reyna pulled one back for the visitors, converting from close range after Rocco Reitz had pulled the ball back across the face of goal. It was Reyna's first goal for Gladbach. A late effort from Sander was saved by Finn Dahmen, and the final whistle confirmed a thoroughly deserved 3-1 victory for Augsburg.
Man of the Match: Michael Gregoritsch
Gregoritsch was the undisputed star of the show, earning the Man of the Match award with 65 per cent of the votes. The Austrian striker scored twice — both from close range — and was a constant threat throughout. His first goal came from a sharp reaction to a rebound in the 24th minute, and his second was a composed finish after Nicolas could only parry Kömür's effort in the 72nd minute. Gregoritsch also registered an assist in the build-up to Kömür's disallowed header in first-half stoppage time, underlining his all-round contribution.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Augsburg 2.96 - Gladbach 1.50
Fastest player: Kade (Augsburg), 34.41 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Gregoritsch (Augsburg), 86 per cent
Most pressed player: Rieder (Augsburg), 14 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Sander (Gladbach), +3.0
Fantasy Heroes: Gregoritsch (Augsburg, 368 Points), Fellhauer (Augsburg, 259 Points), Nicolas (Gladbach, 310 Points)
