Jens Castrop stars with brace as Cologne and Borussia Mönchengladbach play out thrilling derby draw
Jens Castrop scored twice for Borussia Mönchengladbach, including a spectacular long-range effort, but Eric Martel's late equaliser for Cologne ensured the 100th Rhine derby ended level, before the goalscorer was sent off in a dramatic finale.
Cologne 3-3 Borussia MönchengladbachGoals: 0-1 Castrop 1’ (assist: Honorat), 1-1 El Mala 4’ (assist: Jóhannesson), 2-1 Ache 7’ (assist: Kamiński), 2-2 Sander 20’ (assist: Castrop), 2-3 Castrop 60’ (assist: Engelhardt), 3-3 Martel 84’ (assist: Kainz)Red Card: Martel 86’
The 100th Rhine derby between Cologne and Gladbach certainly lived up to its billing, producing a six-goal thriller that ended 3-3.
Both sides came into the match with contrasting fortunes – the hosts without a win in six Bundesliga matches, while Gladbach had kept their 10th clean sheet of the season in their previous match against St. Pauli.
The rivalry took on added significance as both first-year Bundesliga coaches, Lukas Kwasniok and Eugen Polanski, were seeking crucial points in their respective battles to avoid relegation.
Frantic start sets the tone
The match exploded into life immediately when Jens Castrop gave Gladbach the lead after just 30 seconds. A superb ball from Franck Honorat found Castrop, who calmly slotted through Marvin Schwäbe's legs.
Cologne responded brilliantly just three minutes later when Ísak Jóhannesson delivered a perfectly weighted long pass for Saïd El Mala, who controlled beautifully before finishing past Moritz Nicolas.
The hosts then completed their turnaround in the seventh minute when Jakub Kamiński received an excellent ball from Kristoffer Lund and crossed for Ragnar Ache to tap in from close range.
Gladbach draw level
The end-to-end action continued, and Philipp Sander drew Gladbach level in the 20th minute, reacting quickest after his initial shot was blocked to fire past Schwäbe from close range. The frenetic pace slowed somewhat after the fourth goal, but both sides continued to create chances. Jóhannesson fired narrowly wide with a powerful drive from the edge of the box in the 37th minute, while Kevin Diks clipped the post with a clever flick shortly after.
Castrop stunner restores Gladbach lead
The second half began more cautiously, with both teams seemingly wary of committing too many men forward. Kamiński tested Nicolas with a shot in the 54th minute as Cologne looked to regain their advantage.
However, it was Gladbach who struck next through a moment of individual brilliance from Castrop in the 60th minute. Receiving the ball from Yannik Engelhardt, Castrop unleashed a swerving, dipping effort from the edge of the box that clipped the underside of the bar on its way in – a stunning strike with just a 2.6 percent probability of finding the net.
Late drama caps classic derby
Cologne's persistence paid off in the 84th minute when Eric Martel rose highest to head home a corner from substitute Florian Kainz.
However, Martel's joy turned to despair just two minutes later when he received a second yellow card for catching Joe Scally with a flailing arm.
Despite being reduced to ten men, Cologne held on through five minutes of added time to secure a point in what was a fitting 100th edition of the Rhine derby.
Man of the Match: Jens Castrop
Castrop delivered a masterclass in the Rhine derby, scoring twice, including a spectacular long-range effort that would have been worthy of winning any match.
The midfielder showed remarkable composure to finish through Schwäbe's legs for the opener, and his second goal demonstrated his technical quality with a strike few goalkeepers would have saved.
Beyond his goals, Castrop was influential throughout, registering an assist for Sander's equaliser and leading Gladbach's pressing efforts.
His 399 Fantasy Manager points highlighted a performance that earned him the Man of the Match award with 45 percent of the votes.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Cologne 1.71 - Gladbach 1.42
Fastest player: Saïd El Mala (Cologne), 34.42 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 2-3 by Jens Castrop (Gladbach), 2.62 percent
Most pressed player: Jakub Kamiński (Cologne), 15 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Jens Castrop (Gladbach), +2.45
Fantasy Heroes: Jens Castrop (Gladbach, 399 Points), Ragnar Ache (Cologne, 269 Points), Philipp Sander (Gladbach, 235 Points)
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