Augsburg turn tables on Gladbach to close gap
Augsburg - FC Augsburg bounced back from losing their last two games to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 and round off their best ever Hinrunde with three more points.
Chances aplenty
Gladbach made a flying start at the SGL-Arena with Max Kruse putting them in front from the penalty spot after Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker handled the ball inside the area. Markus Feulner brought the hosts back on terms before Raul Bobadilla halted Augsburg's slide with the winner against his former club.
Gladbach launched their first attack right from the kick-off, earning a corner which was to have dire consequences for die Fuggerstädter. Callsen-Bracker raised his arm to block the ball and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Kruse outsmarted Alex Manninger to give the Foals an early lead, but Augsburg hit back ferociously. A precise pass from Markus Feulner found Alexander Esswein, whose cross eventually landed back at Feulner's feet. The former FC Bayern midfielder's shot struck the inside of the left-hand post on its way in for his first of the season.
Six minutes into the second half, a mistake by Tony Jantschke allowed Esswein to cross for Bobadilla to drill a 12-yard shot into the top left-hand corner and give Augsburg the lead for the first time in the game, only moments after Manninger had denied former Augsburg forward Andre Hahn. The 24-year-old then had Yann Sommer to thank for preventing him from scoring an extraordinary own goal, before Bobadilla flashed another effort just centimetres wide of the right-hand post. Alvaro Dominguez brought a save out of Manninger at the other end, but Augsburg held on to secure all three points.
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