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Borussia Mönchengladbach lose a match in the Champions League for the first time this season. In the home game against Inter Milan, Gladbach lost 2: 3 (1: 1). Matteo Darmian’s lead (minute 17) tied Alassane Pléa shortly before half-time (45 + 1), Romelu Lukaku scored the decisive goals for the Italians (64, 73). Pléa’s second goal brought Gladbach back (75th), but a supposed equalization didn’t count later. Despite the defeat, the Gladbach leaders remain in Group B, in which all four clubs have a chance of reaching the round of 16 before the final matchday.
The initial phase was not at all to the taste of the Gladbachers: In midfield, Inter entered the duels well, defensively the Italians left almost nothing. In the game ahead, Antonio Conte’s team was always looking for star forward Lukaku, who, as the leading player, skillfully moved past Gladbach’s penalty area, repeatedly pinning and distributing balls.
Tony Jantschke, who replaced the injured Nico Elvedi in Gladbach’s central defense, blocked a first chance for Lautaro Martínez (6th). Ashley Young’s exit from the edge of the penalty area then missed a goal from Yann Sommer (15th), two minutes later Darmian took the lead from a tight angle through the legs of the Gladbach goalkeeper (17th).
Martínez missed the opportunity to make it 2-0 (33rd) against Sommer, before Gladbach himself got the first chances: A long shot from Stefan Lainer (36th) was the first sign of life, Marcus Thuram’s attempt to score the ball in the far corner. postpone, the second (37). Both times, Inters stopped Samir Handanovic. Shortly before the break, the Milan number one had no chance: Lars Stindl used Valentino Lazaro on the right side, and Pléa headed an Austrian cross into the goal from close range (45 + 1).
Gladbach is denied compensation
After the break, Gladbach was initially lucky that Martinez only threw the ball into the post after Lukakus was knocked down (62.). Shortly after, Lukaku beat substitute Denis Zakaria in a direct duel and put the ball in the far corner (64th), shortly after the Belgian scored his second free goal from the penalty spot (73rd). Former Dortmund Achraf Hakimi had done the preparatory work.
Gladbach again used an Inter fumble shortly before the center line for a good counter, and Pléa made it 2: 3 (75). The Italians had the first great opportunity in the final stages: after a dribble by Alexis Sánchez, Young did not get the ball into the empty goal from a few meters (77º). Alassane Pléa scored for the third time on Inter’s goal, but with Breel Embolo blocking goalkeeper Handanovic offside, the goal did not count after the video assistant’s intervention (84th).
Borussia Mönchengladbach (eight points) will face Real Madrid (seven points) on the last day of the match. A win or a draw is enough to advance the Gladbachers. In the event of defeat, Marco Rose’s team would have to rely on Shakhtar Donetsk and Inter Milan to draw in the parallel game.
