bundesliga

Josip Drmic grabs late equaliser as Borussia Mönchengladbach stay ahead of Hoffenheim

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Substitute Josip Drmic scored six minutes from time as Borussia Mönchengladbach twice came from behind to stun a dominant Hoffenheim and stay ahead of their rivals in the race for Europe.

Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-2 Hoffenheim
Goals: 0-1 Kaderabek (33'), 1-1 Ginter (72'), 1-2 Amiri (79'), 2-2 Drmic (84')

Having missed last week's defeat against Wolfsburg through suspension, Hoffenheim midfielder Kerem Demirbay sent a first warning shot across the bows by scooping a curling effort onto the roof of the net, while Andrej Kramaric also fired over as the visitors began to run riot at Borussia-Park. Thorgan Hazard forced a good stop from Oliver Baumann with a direct free-kick, but otherwise it was all Hoffenheim, with Yann Sommer producing several superb saves to deny Kramaric and Adam Szalai. TSG got the goal they deserved on 33 minutes as Pavel Kaderabek headed in Demirbay's precise delivery from a corner, but they could have been three or four up at the break if not for Sommer, who showed incredible reflexes to keep out a powerful Szalai header with help from the woodwork.

Gladbach switched to a back four at the start of the second half as Ibrahima Traore and Jordan Beyer came on for Patrick Herrmann and Tony Jantschke, but the game continued in the same vein as Hoffenheim kept pouring forward, with Szalai firing straight at Sommer from Ishak Belfodil's clever cut-back. Belfodil and Kramaric then squandered golden opportunities to make it 2-0, and TSG were left to rue their profligacy when Matthias Ginter grabbed an equaliser for Gladbach against the run of play. Amiri restored Hoffenheim's lead four minutes after coming off the bench, rifling in a superb volley just after Nico Schulz had rattled the crossbar with a fierce drive. But another substitute, Drmic, had the final word – sweeping in from Alassane Plea's pass to rescue a point for the fifth-placed Foals and keep them ahead of Hoffenheim in the table.

Pavel Kaderabek scored his third goal of the season to put Hoffenheim ahead against Borussia Mönchengladbach. - imago images / Chai v.d. Laage

Match stats

  • Kaderabek is now up to three goals for the season, his career-best tally in the Bundesliga. The opener was the Czech Republic international's first goal from a corner.
  • Hoffenheim had 15 shots in the first half, compared to just one for Gladbach.
  • Ginter scored for the first time since Matchday 3, putting away his first goal for Gladbach with his left foot.
  • Amiri now has three goals in four games. Four of his 11 Bundesliga strikes have come as a substitute, while Gladbach are his favourite victims (three).
  • Drmic netted for the first time since Matchday 34 of last season. It was Gladbach's 12th goal by a substitute this term, a new club record.
  • Hoffenheim have dropped a league-high 26 points from winning positions this term.

Line-ups

Gladbach: Sommer (c) – Elvedi, Ginter, Jantschke (Beyer 46') – Strobl (Drmic 81') – Herrmann (Traore 46'), Neuhaus, Zakaria, Wendt – Hazard, Plea
Unused subs: Sippel, Lang, Hofmann, Cuisance
Out: Doucoure (thigh), Kramer (suspended), Johnson (calf), Raffael (calf), Stindl (shin)
Coach: Dieter Hecking

Hoffenheim: Baumann - Posch (Adams 67'), Vogt (c), Bicakcic - Kaderabek, Demirbay, Grillitsch, Schulz - Kramaric (Amiri 75') - Belfodil, Szalai (Nelson 85')
Unused subs: Stolz, Brenet, Rupp, Bittencourt
Out: Hübner (back), Joelinton (ankle)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann