Borussia Mönchengladbach kept their European hopes alive with a 3-1 win at home to Freiburg, with Thorgan Hazard, Nico Elvedi and Josip Drmic on target for the Foals at the Borussia Park.

Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1 Freiburg

Goals: Hazard 1-0 (18’), Elvedi 2-0 (57’), 2-1 Kleindienst (60’), 3-1 Drmic (64’)

Freiburg knew victory would all but guarantee their Bundesliga status, and Nils Petersen nearly headed them into an early on only to see Yann Sommer fly across his goal to tip the ball round for a corner. It was Gladbach who drew first blood, though, Hazard racing onto Tobias Strobl’s through-ball before flying past Freiburg keeper Alexander Schwolow and steering home his 10th goal of the campaign. Gladbach’s Germany defender Matthias Ginter then rattled an effort off his former employers’ crossbar before Manuel Gräfe’s half-time whistle blew with Freiburg significantly happier to hear it than were the Foals.

The second half was little more than 10 minutes old when Gladbach pulled further clear, with Elvedi rising highest to head home Jonas Hoffman’s corner. Freiburg kept their hosts honest, pulling one back minutes later when Tim Kleindienst got the break of the ball in the box, but the hosts put the game beyond doubt soon after, Josip Drmic – playing in place of injured club captain Lars Stindl – looping home a header that would have done the Germany forward proud.

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Match stats

Hazard has been Gladbach’s most potent attacking force this season, with his opener here lifting his tally to 10 goals and four assists.The Foals are now undefeated in their last 14 home games against Freiburg.Kept quiet on Saturday, Petersen is still the only player to have scored half of his team’s goals in the Bundesliga this season (15 of 30).Freiburg and Bremen each had 19 shots on the opposition goal.Freiburg coach Christian Streich gave Gladbach defender Ginter his Bundesliga debut in a 1-0 win over Augsburg back in January 2012.Freiburg are now without a win in 10 away games

Line-ups

Gladbach: Sommer – Jantschke, Ginter, Elvedi, Wendt (c) – Hofmann, Cuisance, Strobl (Oxford 69'), Hazard (Herrmann 87') – Drmic (Traore 73'), Raffael
Unused subs: Sippel, Beyer, Grifo, Mayer
Absentees: Doucoure (thigh), Vestergaard (suspended), Zakaria (suspended), Kramer (suspended), Johnson (match fitness), Stindl (ankle), Villalba (thigh)
Coach: Dieter Hecking

Freiburg: Schwolow – Kübler, Gulde, Kempf, Günter – Frantz (Höler 70'), Höfler, Schuster (c) (Haberer 38'), Terrazzino (Koch 87') – Petersen, Kleindienst
Unused subs: Gikiewicz, Lienhart, Stenzel, Guede
Absentees: Stanko (knee), Abrashi (cruciate ligament), Ravet (thigh), Niederlechner (knee)
Coach: Christian Streich

As it happened

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