Borussia Mönchengladbach's Stellar Performer Rocco Reitz Can't Seal the Deal Against Werder
Despite a brace from rising star Rocco Reitz, Borussia Mönchengladbach didn't secure their sixth consecutive home victory against Werder Bremen. The 2:2 draw (1:1) on the fifteenth Bundesliga matchday on Friday evening saw Marvin Ducksch score two goals, taking advantage of poor exposures by Joe Scally and Nico Elvedi from Gladbach.
The visitors snatched a fortunate point off coach Ole Werner's side, thanks to two critical defensive mistakes. The first error happened in the 7th minute, when Rafael Borré capitalized on Gladbach's haphazard defense to score. Meanwhile, Marvin Ducksch found an opening in the 76th minute, exploiting Elvedi's misjudgment. A red card for Christoph Kramer in the 90.+2 minute was ultimately dismissed after a thorough review of the footage.
"We've yet to maintain consistency with our defensive play," stated Borussia Mönchengladbach's coach Gerardo Seoane prior to the game, emphasizing his team's unwanted second-worst defensive record in the Bundesliga. Rather than making strides towards European Cup contention, Gladbach finds itself in mid-table with 17 points from 16 matches, just one point ahead of Werder.
The match started with an unusual silence, orchestrated by the active fan community across Germany in protest against the planned investor deal of the German Football League (DFL). Both fan camps withheld support for the initial twelve minutes of the game, with signage displaying DFL criticisms.
Gladbach's weak defensive performance gifted Bremen an early lead, with Gladbach players displaying a lackluster display at the back. However, injured Borussia's lively frontline rediscovered their form shortly after the chocolate coins from the Gladbach fan block were tossed onto the pitch as a form of DFL protest.
Seoane's charges, spearheaded by Rocco Reitz, turned the tide of the game, equalizing before halftime and tearing open Werder's defense for a second time shortly after the break. Reitz, the season's U21 top goal-scorer, bagged two more goals, assisted by a sturdy Robin Hack, who debuted in the Bundesliga.
However, even Reitz's two goals couldn't secure the victory, as Gladbach's defense once again cracked under pressure from Bremen. Borussia barely managed to scrape a point off a disappointing draw, stagnating in mid-table.
