Bundesliga Winter Break Review: Borussia Mönchengladbach

Borussia Mönchengladbach
Rank: 18th
Preseason prediction: 12th
What was I thinking? Gladbach entered the Bundesliga having won the 2. Bundesliga with the most prolific offense and third-stingiest defense. They featured a versatile, if somewhat inexperienced side headlined by Germany’s next can’t miss prospect, Marko Marin.

Season High: It all started off so well with an 8-1 drubbing of Bielefeld. Unfortunately it was VfB Fichte Bielefeld, not Arminia and took place in the first round of the DFB-Pokal (when amateur teams are traditionally led to the slaughter). Gladbach’s subsequent 0-3 defeat to Cottbus in that competition was much more indicative of the season to come.

Season Low: That 0-3 defeat came during the absolutely horrid stretch of September. 11 goals in 4 games, of which Gladbach scored one. Let’s not slight December, however, another (shortened) winless month.

Why Gladbach Might Not Be Relegated: Parity, Parity Parity. The Bundesliga’s well-known penchant for equality extends beyond the logjam at the top of the table. Only 3 points and a bit of goal differential separate 15th from 18th. Their coach, Hans Meyer, is well-known for his ability to repeatedly turn around hopeless cases–this is a prime opportunity to reaffirm that reputation. Furthermore, the club has brought in a number of players with the intent on strengthening their leaky rearguard. It may not sound like much of a positive, but Gladbach’s position can only improve.

Why Gladbach Will Be Relegated: Then again, it’s hard to dismiss the first half of the season as a short-term trend. Their generosity in defense is befitting a town founded around an abbey. But in the profane world of football these virtues go unrewarded. In fact, they’re punished, but let the Philistines have their goals.

After the jump, stats and more stats.

Totals
Attendance – 419,861
Goals – 18
Shots – 205
Shots on Goal – 67
Fouls – 372
Corners – 82
Offsides – 57
Yellows – 40

Average/Game
Attendance – 46,651
Goals – 1.06
Shots – 12.06
Shots on Goal – 3.94
Fouls – 21.88
Corners – 4.82
Offsides – 3.35
Yellows – 2.35