Marcus Thuram (l.) and Lars Stindl have helped Borussia Mönchengladbach through to the UEFA Champions League knockout stages. - © PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP via Getty Images
Marcus Thuram (l.) and Lars Stindl have helped Borussia Mönchengladbach through to the UEFA Champions League knockout stages. - © PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP via Getty Images
bundesliga

Borussia Mönchengladbach lose to Real Madrid but go through to UEFA Champions League knockout stages

xwhatsappmailcopy-link

Borussia Mönchengladbach were beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid in their final UEFA Champions League group stage game on Wednesday but joined the Spanish champions in the knockout stages as Group B runners-up thanks to Shakhtar Donetsk's goalless draw at Inter Milan.

Match stats

  • This season marks the first time in three attempts Mönchengladbach have reached the competition's knockout stages.
  • This was the Foals' first away defeat in eight European away games with their previous loss dating back to a 4-0 loss to Real's Clasico rivals Barcelona in December 2016.
  • Gladbach won the UEFA Cup twice in the 1970s and were European Cup runners up. Their all-time balance with Real reads: five games played, three drawn, one won each, with 10 goals scored apiece.
  • Thuram's father Lilian and Real coach Zidane were teammates when France won the FIFA World Cup in 1998.
  • Real's win meant they avoided dropping into the Europa League for the first time. The record European champions haven't played in the lesser of the two continental competitions since 1994/95, when it was still called the UEFA Cup.

Line-ups

Real: Courtois - Vazquez, Varane, Ramos (c), Mendy - Modric, Casemiro, Kroos - Rodrygo (Arribas 74'), Benzema, Vinicius (Asensio 74')
Unused subs: Lunin, Carvajal, Altube, Militao, Nacho, Marcelo, Odriozola, Isco,
Out: Hazard (groin), Valverde (shin), Mariano (knock)
Coach: Zinedine Zidane

Gladbach: Sommer (c) - Lainer, Ginter, Elvedi, Wendt (Lazaro 46') - Kramer (Benes 85'), Neuhaus - Embolo (Zakaria 46'), Stindl (c) (Wolf 85'), Thuram (Herrmann 85') - Plea
Unused subs: Grün, Sippel, Lang, Beyer, Traore, Poulsen
Out: Bensebaini (not included), Hofmann (thigh), Jantschke (knee)
Coach: Marco Rose

As it happened

2 - 0

(2 - 0)

Madrid
FINAL
M'gladbach
Champions League
Matchday 6
Matchday 6 Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano
90'

FULL-TIME

It's all over here: Madrid are through, but will Gladbach join them? Still waiting on the final whistle at the San Siro. Did anyone say 'nervous'?
90'

ADDED TIME

Two minutes extra...what's going on in Italy? Still 0-0.
90'

DEJA VU

Yes, you've guessed it: cross from the right, Benzema header...Sommer saves this time. The France striker has been unplayable tonight.
88'

ANYONE ELSE...

got no nails left? Talk about drama!
87'

REGRETS FROM MATCHDAY 2

And then again, just one to mention, to paraphrase Sinatra. Those late goals - 87th and 93rd minute - in Mönchengladbach that earned Madrid a point and denied the hosts all three. A win then would have made tonight a lot more comfortable...
84'

MADRID STILL PRESSING

The hosts keep sweeping forward looking for a third which - let's be fair - their play has deserved. It's all eyes on the game in San Siro now, really.
79'

VAZQUEZ FINDS A POST

Benzema tees up the rampaging full-back and Sommer watches with relief as the ball smacks off his left-hand post and out again. Gladbach fortunate not to be 3 or 4-0 down.
78'

CLINGING ON

It's still 0-0 in the other game...it's precarious, but Gladbach are STILL going through as it stands. But this is almost unbearably tense.
73'

HOW DID THAT STAY OUT?

Kroos comes back down the left...great ball in...fabulous header by Ramos and what a stop from Sommer. Benzema's follow up finds the woodwork and ricochets to safety...that was as close as Madrid will get to a third without scoring.
70'

KROOS' CORNER

The ex-Bayern Munich and Leverkusen man sends over a dangerous corner...it's headed away...
70'

THAT WAS CLOSE

Vinicius down the left, finds Mendy who squares for Modric...he tees up Rodrygo who fizzes a low shot just past Sommer's right-hand post. Beautiful build-up and very nearly perfect execution from Madrid. They've just been too good for Gladbach tonight.
67'

MADRID CHANCE

Benzema breaks forward and finds Vinicius in the left-hand channel, but the young Brazilian youngster tries to play the ball back to his teammate instead of shooting, and Gladbach can clear. That could have been a lot worse.
65'

PLEA RUFFLES THE SIDE-NETTING

When a cross is only half cleared by the Madrid backline, Plea picks up the ball, swivels and drills in a low shot...but only into the side-netting.
62'

STATE OF PLAY

Just a reminder: if Inter and Shakhtar draw and Madrid win, Gladbach go through. But if Shakhtar or Inter win, it'll be Europa League Last 32 for Rose's boys.
60'

AN HOUR UP

And though it's been a determined and lively start to the second half from the visitors, no goal to really give Gladbach hope of not having to look nervously at what's happening in Italy.
54'

WASTED COUNTER-ATTACK

Stindl and Plea were moving menacingly into the Madrid box without too many white shirts in attendance, but Thuram pushes the pass to Lazaro too long and the substitute cannot get a cross into the danger zone.
52'

NICELY DONE

Gladbach build really nicely, and work the ball out wide to Plea on the right, but Casemiro is handily placed in front of Stindl to intercept, and the Gladbach forward can only bundle the Brazilian over.
51'

NEUHAUS OVER THE BAR

Zakaria darts in to win back possession in the Madrid final third, but when Plea's cross finds Neuhaus just outside the box, the young midfielder can only smash a first-time shot over the crossbar under pressure from Modric.
49'

BENZEMA AGAIN

Though this time after the French forward hangs for an improbable time in the air to meet a right-wing cross, Sommer is able to cling on to the Madrid forward's header.
46'

TWO CHANGES

Zakaria and Lazaro are on at the break, Wendt and Embolo make way. The visitors going three at the back, Plea now through the middle up front.
46'

SECOND HALF UNDERWAY

Here we go again!
45'

NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS

Inter 0-0 Shakhtar at half-time means Gladbach are currently going through as group runners-up behind Madrid. This is going to be a nervous 45 minutes.
45'

HALF-TIME

Madrid were just too too good in that first half. Benzema and Modric have been excellent, and they could actually have been further ahead. But Plea did have that chance at 1-0...let's hope for better in the second half.
42'

AND A THIRD....BUT...

Relax everyone, the offside flag is up. Modric had rifled a shot high into the net - Madrid's finishing tonight has been insanely good - but the flag is up for an offside earlier in the move. Phew!
39'

CHANCE FOR A THIRD

Another swift move down the right with Rodrygo and Lucas Vazquez and the latter's ball into the near post finds Modric - he fashions a shot goal wards, but Sommer is down brilliantly to his left to push it onto the post.
36'

THURAM AT THE BACK POST

But it's not the same result as his fellow Frenchman at the opposite end - the cross is a little too high for the Gladbach forward and it skims off his head and out of play.
32'

POSSESSION STATS

Madrid 62% Gladbach 38%
32'

BENZEMA AGAIN

Rodrygo has time and space on the right to put in a cross and it's Benzema at the back post once again - this time his header is close enough to Sommer for him to get a touch, but it's too powerful to keep up.
32'
30'

HALF HOUR GONE

And Gladbach have done well...bar the goal. Had Plea been able to take that chance, it would be all square.
24'

GREAT CHANCE FOR PLEA

Fabulous counter-attack by the visitors - they break at real pace and Plea is played in through the middle, he clips the ball over Courtois but it bounces past a post.
22'

MADRID CORNER

Kroos clips it in to the near post, but Gladbach defend the set-piece really well. They'll need some more of that as the night wears on.
18'

GLADBACH UNDER PRESSURE

The visitors are very much second-best right now with Madrid quicker to everything. Marco Rose's men have barely touched the ball in the last three minutes.
13'

STINDL WITH THE CORNER...

The Gladbach captain bends it into the six-yard area, but Courtois comes and claims at the second attempt.
13'

WHO GOES THROUGH

As things stand, Madrid would top the group ahead of Gladbach. Shakhtar would be third - they're 0-0 with Inter right now.
11'

THURAM TESTS COURTOIS

The France international cuts inside on his right foot and fires goal wards - Courtois beats away his powerful effort.
9'

BENZEMA OPENS THE SCORING

Lucas is picked out wide on the right...deep ball to the back post and Benzema rises to send a peerless header past Sommer. No chance for the Gladbach 'keeper.
9'
8'

A SNIFF FOR THURAM

Free-kick for Gladbach 40 metres from goal - Stindl flights it forward, and had Thuram gambled on the ball coming to him, that might have been dangerous.
5'

MADRID MAKING THE PLAY

Zidane's side are getting their touches in early - it's now the hosts, in their traditional all white, are dominating possession.
4'

SOLID START

The boys in black are stroking the ball around on the surface of Madrid's training ground, which is looking fabulous.
Kick-off!

NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS

Inter 0-0 Shakhtar at the break means Gladbach are still second in the group and joining Madrid in the knockout stages...this is going to be a nervy 45 minutes.

HERE WE GO...

The two teams are out and THAT music is playing...all together now: The Champions!!!!!

A GOAL PLEA-SE, ALASSANE

Plea got a fabulous second goal of the Bundesliga season against Freiburg at the weekend, and has five in the Champions League. He's been in great form - you wonder how long it will be until he joins club teammate Marcus Thuram in the France squad.

FOALS IN FORM

Gladbach have won four of their last eight European games (D2 L2), and are unbeaten in seven away from home. Their last defeat came in Spain: a 4-0 loss at Barcelona on MD6 of the 2016/17 Champions League.

GLADBACH TEAM NEWS

Elvedi is fit again so Kramer returns to midfield. Thuram and Plea begin up front along with Breel Embolo.

MADRID TEAM NEWS

Germany international midfielder Toni Kroos is in the midfield three that helped Zidane secure three successive Champions League crowns between 2016 and 2018 along with Casemiro and Modric.

THE STAKES

A draw is all Marco Rose's men need in the Spanish capital to reach the knockout stages, but could even qualify if they lose and Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk draw in the other Group B game.

WELCOME!

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Borussia Mönchengladbach's final UEFA Champions League group stage game - the stage is Real Madrid's Alfredo di Stefano training ground, and the Foals have a great chance of reaching the Last 16.