In the opening match of the second half of the season, Borussia Mönchengladbach take on Bayern Munich. After a disappointing first half of the season, coach Adi Hütter knows how he could give the record champions a run for their money again – if the encounter takes place.
Adi Hütter has a good record against FC Bayern München as a coach lately. In the season opener, he scored a 1-1 in his first game as Gladbach coach, and in the 2nd round of the DFB Cup, he even defeated the record champions with Borussia by a clear 5-0 score. According to “Opta”, moreover, “no coach in the Bundesliga has won as often against current FCB coach Julian Nagelsmann as the current coach of Borussia Mönchengladbach” (3/3/1).
“If I could choose it, it would be different,” Hütter nevertheless said at the press conference before the second-round opener on Friday evening against FCB. He was certainly not referring to progressing in the cup, but the first-round record of his Foals in the league makes the Austrian pensive. The fact that he “won the last two home games with Frankfurt” against Munich does not change anything about Borussia’s 14th place. Only two points separate Gladbach from the relegation place, three from a direct relegation place.
We have the possibility with the team to create a series.
“The situation is not without danger,” Hütter therefore said. The approach should nonetheless be not to see a glass half empty. “Looking forward” is what should be done, he said. “We have the possibility with the team to create a series,” Hütter is sure.
The intensity must be kept high
The main thing against Munich is to keep the intensity high in order to be successful. After all, this was already achieved in the cup victory. If his team could keep up that intensity and the associated running, things would have worked out in the first half of the season. Especially with regard to the points. It is also important to “use the leverage” in the defence in the box.
Hütter: Bayern “especially strong on the offensive” despite Corona’s fall
The fact that the clear league leaders from Munich have to deal with a number of Corona illnesses among their players is not an advantage overall, according to Hütter. Especially in the offensive there is still great quality – and hardly any absences, if the name Leroy Sané is left out. However, the FCB is now aware of a total of eight Corona cases in the team – which is why the record champion actually wants to cancel the match.
Jantschke possibly an option again
Hütter isn’t worried about that fact, though. “Bayern have some absentees, but so do we,” the Austrian summed up, referring to his players who are ill or injured with Corona. At least no one has been added to the known personnel of Denis Zakaria, Joe Scally, Mamadou Doucouré and Keanan Bennetts (all infected with COVID-19) as well as Ramy Bensebaini, who is away at the Africa Cup. Jonas Hofmann (knee surgery) is not yet an option, but Jordan Beyer, who recently extended his contract, “has just returned to training”. Tony Jantschke could be an option after his facial injury, depending on the system.
