Mönchengladbach cling to European dream
Mönchengladbach - Borussia Mönchengladbach kept their chances of European football in the coming season alive courtesy of 's second-half strike against struggling Greuther Fürth.
Fürth down to ten men
Hoping to bounce back from last weekend's 3-2 home defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt, Fürth came out firing on all cylinders, their energetic and high-pressing game causing the hosts severe problems in the opening stages, both Sercan Sararer and Thanos Petsos missing good early opportunities for the cellar dwellers. Further chances proved hard to come by for the dominating visitors in the first half, however, while a number of long-range efforts from Borussia failed to seriously threaten their goal.
Edgar Prib and the lively Petsos missed further opportunities for the Franconian club while de Jong missed with only Wolfgang Hesl, back between the Fürth sticks after three matches on the sidelines, to beat.
The balance of power shifted in Gladbach's favour a good hour into the game when Greuther were reduced to ten men following Matthias Zimmermann's dismissal for a second booking. The Foals increased the pressure as the game progressed and their probing eventually paid dividends in the 74th minute, de Jong converting Oscar Wendt's cross for his sixth goal this season to leave Fürth without a win in their last eight matches and ever closer to the drop.
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