Sub Thuram rescues Gladbach with late double

Berlin (AFP) – French under-21 striker Marcus Thuram came off the bench to score twice on Sunday and seal a dramatic 2-1 win for Borussia Moenchengladbach against Fortuna Duesseldorf in the Bundesliga.

Hosts Gladbach crashed to a shock 4-0 defeat at home to Austrian side Wolfsberg in the Europa League in mid-week and were heading towards a second loss in four days at Borussia Park before Thuram equalised midway through the second half, then claimed a late winner.

The 22-year-old turned the game after coming on with 67 minutes played for fellow Frenchman Alassane Plea, converting a cross seven minutes after his substitution, then tapped home the winner following a goal-mouth scramble three minutes from time.

There were hints of off-side in the build-up to his second goal and Gladbach had a nervous wait while the video assistant referee checked, but Thuram was mobbed by his team-mates when his winner was confirmed. 

They were Thuram’s first Bundesliga goals in only his fifth game since signing from French second-division club Guingamp in July for nine million euros ($9.9m).

The home fans’ relief at the final whistle was understandable after Fortuna took the lead with only seven minutes gone when a header by Ghana defender Kasim Adams stood after goal-line technology confirmed the ball crossed the line having deflected off the crossbar.

Thuram’s goals gave Gladbach their third win in five games, lifting them from fifth to eighth in the table, while Fortuna have now lost three of their opening games to drop to 12th.

Later Borussia Dortmund can claim second in the table, knocking defending champions Bayern Munich down to third in the process, if they win at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bayern jumped from fourth to second on Saturday with a 4-0 thrashing of Cologne thanks to playmaker Philippe Coutinho’s first Bundesliga goal and two from striker Robert Lewandowski.

RB Leipzig will finish the weekend in top spot after their 3-0 win at Werder Bremen on Saturday thanks to a Willi Orban header, a superb Marcel Sabitzer free-kick and a late third by substitute Marcelo Saracchi.