Hannes Wolf (c) celebrates scoring Borussia Mönchengladbach‘s first goal in their friendly victory over Bayern Munich. - © imago images/MIS
Hannes Wolf (c) celebrates scoring Borussia Mönchengladbach‘s first goal in their friendly victory over Bayern Munich. - © imago images/MIS
bundesliga

Borussia Mönchengladbach earn friendly win over Bayern Munich

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Hannes Wolf opened the scoring from a Joe Scally assist as Borussia Mönchengladbach overcame Bayern Munich 2-0 in a pre-season friendly at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

Bayern 0-2 Gladbach
Goals: 0-1
Wolf (59'), 0-2 Wentzel (76')

With these two teams set to open the curtain on the new Bundesliga season on Matchday 1 on 13 August, this was a dress rehearsal of sorts for the 2021/22 season, even if a number of household names on both sides were absent. Bayern began the brighter of the two and initially pegged Gladbach back in their own half, albeit without ever seriously threatening to trouble Tobias Sippel in the visiting goal. Indeed, the best chance of a hard-fought first half was a Joshua Zirkzee shot from 10 yards that rippled the side netting.

Gladbach were much improved after the break though, and took the lead just before the hour mark when Wolf arrived at the back post to volley in Scally’s excellent cross from the right. Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann then made 10 substitutions, swapping out every outfield player, resulting in the newcomers – including Serge Gnabry and Chris Richards - needing a while to get into the game. Gladbach made a raft of changes not long afterwards but remained the better side, with substitute Michael Wentzel squeezing in a shot from a tight angle to double the visitors’ advantage. Gnabry had the ball in the net late on, but his effort was ruled out for offside, giving Gladbach the win and perhaps a little confidence boost ahead of the real deal in two weeks’ time.

Match stats

  • Robert Lewandowski has finished as Bundesliga top scorer in the last three seasons in a row.
  • Bayern's record non-German marksman scored the quickest goal of his Bundesliga career in Bayern's most recent meeting with Gladbach, scoring his first of three efforts on the day just two minutes in. It was his fifth hat-trick - or better - of the 2020/21 Bundesliga campaign.
  • Bayern have won 30 Bundesliga titles to Gladbach's five.
  • Lars Stindl was Gladbach's best for goals and assists last season, with 14 and 10 respectively.
  • Prior to this game, Adi Hütter had lost six of eight meetings with Bayern (W2), but won four of seven against Nagelsmann (D2, L1).
  • After Bayern and along with Dortmund, Gladbach were the Bundesliga's second-best represented team at the Euros (10 players).

Line-ups

Bayern: Hoffmann - Nianzou (Mosandl 61'), Upamecano (Lawrence 61'), Stanisic (Vidovic 61') - Sarr (Vita 61'), Cuisance (Booth 60'), Rhein (Mamedova 61'), O. Richards (Wenig 61') - Tillman (Motika 61'), Zirkzee (C. Richards 60'), Choupo-Moting (c) (Gnabry 60')
Unused subs: Ulreich
Out: Davies (ankle), Früchtl (collarbone), Hernandez (knee), Roca (ankle), Scott (thigh)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann

Gladbach: Sippel - Scally (Skraback 71'), Beyer (Wentzel 70'), Jantschke (Lieder 70'), Poulsen - Kramer (Lockl 71'), Benes (Moustafa 70') - Herrmann (Borges Sanches 70'), Wolf (Quizera 70'), Bennets (Reitz 70') - Schroers (Noß 46')
Unused subs: Olschowski, Lainer,
Out: Bensebaini (thigh), Doucoure (Achilles' tendon), Embolo (thigh), Kone (knee), Plea (knee), Stindl (knee)
Coach: Adi Hütter

Watch: Bayern's season to savour in 2021/22

As it happened!

FULL TIME!

The final whistle blows and Gladbach earn a 2-0 victory in Munich!

86' GNABRY GOAL DISALLOWED

Gnabry thinks he's pulled one back, racing forward down the left before coolly slotting past Sippel, but the referee's assistant raises his flag for offside.

84' BOOTH TESTS SIPPEL

Booth surges forward in a central position and fires off a low shot from about 25 yards out. There's not a great deal of pace behind it but it looks to be heading towards the bottom corner, so Sippel tips it wide to be on the safe side.

80' NOß RECEIVING TREATMENT

The physios are on the pitch to treat the Gladbach forward following a heft challenge with Chris Richards, but he looks like he'll be ok to continue.

76' GLADBACH GET A SECOND!

Just moments after Noß's chance, Gladbach double their lead as Wentzel arrives at the back post to somehow prod in from a tight angle following another Hoffmann save.

75' NOß GOES CLOSE!

The Gladbach striker is released into space and he tears down on goal before trying to squeeze a shot through Hoffmann's legs. The young Bayern keeper just gets enough on the ball to stop it going in, though.

73' NICE MOVE FROM BAYERN

Gnabry holds the ball up well on the left and releases Motika into space. He whips an inviting ball towards the back post towards Vidovic, but it's just a tad too strong for him to reach.

70' WHOLESALE GLADBACH CHANGES

The visitors are making eight substitutions now. Again, we'll get confirmation of those shortly.

68' 10 BAYERN SUBS

Confirmation of those Bayern subs now: 60. Booth, Chris Richards, Gnabry, Vita, Vidovic, Mamedova, Motika, Lawrence, Wenig and Mosandl are all on the pitch.

66' GNABRY ALMOST IN!

Lawrence with a brilliant disguised pass, dinking the ball over the top of the Gladbach defence to Gnabry. He tries to head it back down to a teammate, but it's cut out before Bayern can get a shot away.

64' WOLF GOES CLOSE AGAIN!

Hoffmann with a superb save to deny Wolf his second of the game from close range!

60' ALL CHANGE FOR BAYERN

As he did against Ajax, Nagelsmann has changed his entire outfield team, with only Hoffmann remaining on the pitch. We'll bring you confirmation of those changes shortly.

59' WOLF PUTS GLADBACH AHEAD!

The visitors lead! Scally curls a cross from the right into the box and finds Wolf arriving at the back post. He volleys it back across goal and past Hoffmann!

55' CHANCE FOR GLADBACH!

Poulsen teases a brilliant cross into the Bayern box, bouncing low across the six-yard box. Herrmann arrives at pace and gets there just before Richards, but can only direct his header over the bar under pressure.

52' TILLMAN CAUSING TROUBLE AGAIN

The Bayern youngster has had a good game and has been his team's most dangerous creative outlet. He skips past Scally down the left, gets to the byline and pulls a cross into the box, but Sippel is alert and dashes out to smother the ball.

48' STRONG START FROM GLADBACH

The Foals have begun this half with purpose and have pinned Bayern back so far. Noß has a half chance as the ball is delivered from the left, but he can only poke it over at a stretch.

46' SECOND HALF

We're back underway in Munich. Noß has come on for Schroers for Gladbach at the break.

HALF-TIME!

It's goalless at the break. Bayern have been marginally the better side, although there haven't been any real clear-cut chances yet.

43' FINAL BALL LACKING

Pre-season is all about fine tuning and it's probably fair to say neither side is quite at their best yet. Both are getting forward well at times, but are missing that decisive final pass.

40' HERRMANN PUSHING

The Gladbach winger tears down the right as he looks to latch onto a ball forward. He tussles with Omar Richards, who just does enough to get his body in the way and prevent Herrmann going one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

37' DRIVING RUN FROM RHEIN

The Bayern midfield strides forward from the centre-circle and gets close to the Gladbach box. Just as he's about to play the final pass to Choupo-Moting, however, Scally gets back to put him off his stride and make a vital interception.

33' PROMISING POSITION

Bayern win a free-kick wide on the left. Rhein takes it and lofts the ball into the box, but Poulsen is first to it and heads clear.

31' ZIRKZEE INTO THE SIDE NETTING!

Tillman looks to have skipped past Beyer in the box, but both go to the ground in a tangle. Choupo-Moting appeals for a Bayern penalty but the referee says to play on. The ball falls to Zirkzee, who snaps a shot at goal, but he can only rifle it into the side netting.

29' WIDE FROM SCALLY

Speaking of confidence, 18-year-old Scally looks to have it in abundance. He's looked solid at right-back here and he's got forward well a couple of times too. Here he cuts onto his left foot inside the box and curls an effort towards the back post, but it sails well wide.

27' ONE-TOUCH PASSING

Gladbach given an indication of how they might play under new coach Adi Hütter this season, spreading the ball superbly over the pitch with some swift one-touch passing that leaves Bayern's players chasing in their wake. The move ultimately comes to nothing, but it was a confidence-building spell from the Foals.

23' UPAMECANO STRENGTH

Wolf chases a ball into the Bayern box, but he's unceremoniously barged off it by - fairly it must be said - by Upamecano. No way through there.

19' TILLMAN ALMOST IN

A cross from the right into the Gladbach box isn't properly cleared and it looks for a moment like it'll fall to Tillman. However, Kramer just gets there in front of him and clears the danger before he can get a shot away.

16' MIDFIELD SCRAP

It's all a bit congested in the middle of the park, with neither side able to make much headway. Both are pressing quickly and closing down their opponents as soon as possible.

13' VISITORS MORE COMFORTABLE NOW

The Foals have weathered that early storm and look more settled now. They're enjoying a bit more possession now and are passing the ball around with greater confidence.

10' GLADBACH FREE-KICK

A first chance to test Bayern's aerial ability as a free-kick is whipped in from the left. It's decent enough, but Hoffmann comes off his line to collect.

8' TEASING FROM SCALLY

The American defender gets forward well down the Gladbach right and bends an inviting cross into the box. It bounces inside the six-yard box but is just too strong for Schroers, who was arriving at the back post.

6' BAYERN ON TOP

The home side are pressing high and aggressively here. Gladbach have struggled to put more than a couple of passes together and can't get out of their own half.

3' CHOUPO-MOTING FREE-KICK

The Bayern forward takes the free-kick and curls it around the wall, but Gladbach goalkeeper Sippel is well placed and gathers the low shot into his arms

2' BRILLIANT FROM TILLMAN

The young attacker receives possession wide on the Bayern left. He dribbles is way past two or three defenders, jinking this way and that, before being bundled to the ground on the edge of the Gladbach box, giving Bayern a free-kick...

1' KICK-OFF!

Bayern get the ball rolling!

ON THE PITCH

The players are emerging from the tunnel onto the Allianz Arena pitch. Not long to go now!

TEAM NEWS

While a number of big stars are missing for both sides, either through injury or holiday after participating at the European Championship, there are still several first team regulars in both teams, including Upamecano and Choupo-Moting for Bayern, and Lainer, Jantschek, Kramer and Herrmann for Gladbach.

WELCOME!

Thanks for joining us for live coverage of this friendly between Bayern and Gladbach, a dry run of the opening match of the 2021/22 Bundesliga season in a couple of weeks.