[ad_1]
After two draws in the first two games of the group stage in the premier class, the Bundesliga club finally wanted to score the first three points. This was successful, with a spectacular appearance.
The outstanding Plea (8/26/78) with a triple, Christoph Kramer (17) with a deflected shot, Ramy Bensebaini (44) and Lars Stindl (65) scored for the playful Borussia, who can now dream of going to knockout stage for the first time.
The Bundesliga team pulled the teeth out of the 2009 Uefa Cup winner at the empty Kiev Olympic Stadium from the start and kept the pressure on. Against Real Madrid and Inter Milan (2-2 each), the colt eleven had previously given victory without further ado. Only in 1973 at the IB Vestmannaeyjar Gladbach won an away match in the European Cup (7-0).
Rose warned about “boisterous” Brazilians
Rose had warned against the “boisterous” Brazilians, five of whom were in the Ukrainians’ starting eleven. “If we want to stay in the Champions League, we need a result today,” said Rose, whose team started with a focused approach. Unlike the first two games, Borussia showed no respect either in front of the big stage or in front of the opponent.
Starting XI in Kiev: With this team, the Gladbach team started against Donetsk. (Source: Vitalii Kliuiev / imago images)
The payoff quickly followed: strong Stefan Lainer was abruptly sent to the right and served Plea lurking in the penalty area with a cross pass. Unlike on Saturday against Leipzig, when the Frenchman had hit the crossbar from a similar position, this time he finished flat in the left corner. For the 27-year-old it was the first goal in the premier class, for Gladbach the start of a memorable break.
Trio returned in initial formation
Because Rose’s team remained active, Donetsk bothered with aggressive pressure and had significantly more possession. The result was the quick 2-0. Kramer fired an offside shot from 20 meters, but it was deflected away from goalkeeper Anatolij Trubin. UEFA called the goal an own goal by Valery Bondar. Like Captain Stindl and Marcus Thuram, Kramer had returned to the starting lineup.
As Gladbach didn’t budge and billionaire Rinat Akhmetov’s club barely left room to breathe, the third trick quickly followed. Plea completed a strong counterattack from 22 meters to the left corner. At least now the question arose how the Europa League semi-finalist last season beat Real Madrid 3-2, especially since Bensebaini added after a Hofmann corner kick before the break.
Shakhtar entered the second half with three new players and now offered more resistance. Gladbach remained focused, however, while Nico Elvedi, who recovered in time, kept the picture in central defense alongside national player Matthias Ginter. Instead, Stindl added the fifth goal after Plea’s preliminary work, and Plea himself later the sixth.
