Berisha stunner gives Augsburg much-needed win

Augsburg 1-0 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Goal: 1-0 Berisha 82' (assist: Yeboah)

Augsburg may have been hovering just above the relegation zone following their rollercoaster 4-3 defeat by Borussia Dortmund at the weekend, but they began with the swagger of a team much higher up. Arne Maier fired off the first warning shot just five minutes in when he swept over the bar from 10 yards, before Berisha jinked past his marker and drew a fine save from Jonas Omlin with a fierce angled drive. Gladbach are one of three teams yet to win on the road this season and their lack of confidence was telling: the Foals' only opportunity of any real note in the first 45 minutes was a Stefan Lainer shot from the edge of the box that skewed wide of the target. At the other end of the pitch, Dion Beljo thought he had opened the scoring shortly before the break, but his effort from a corner was disallowed for offside.

The hosts continued their aggressive, attack-minded approach in the second period and were inches away from taking the lead when Jeffrey Gouweleeuw hit the post with a header from a corner. They did get the reward their performance deserved in the end though: substitute Kelvin Yeboah scurried down the left wing on the counter and was able to cross into the middle, where Berisha evaded his marker to flick the ball into the far corner with his heel. The result lifts Enrico Maaßen's team up to 14th and while they are still just two points above the relegation zone, the manner of this victory will give them cause for optimism going into the second half of the season.

• The returning Berisha now has four goals this season in just 11 games. He also has four assists to his name.
• The forward has put his side 1-0 up every time he has found the net this season.
• Gladbach are still yet to win a league game away from home under Daniel Farke, drawing four and losing four.
• Augsburg picked up their first Bundesliga win since Matchday 8 in early October, having gone eight games without a win (D3, L5).
• Augsburg ended the game with twice as many efforts on goal as their visitors (14 to seven).
• The Foals have only won one of 12 Bundesliga trips to Augsburg (3-2 in February 2020, otherwise D5, L6) and lost the last three.

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Augsburg: Gikiewicz – Gumny, Gouweleeuw (c), Uduokhai, Pedersen – Maier (Jensen 81'), Engels, Rexhbecaj (Dorsch 81') - Beljo (Yeboah 66'), Berisha (Bauer 90'+2), Demirovic
Unused subs: Koubek, Colina, Baumgartlinger, Sarenren Bazee, Caligiuri
Out: Cardona (foot), Hahn (knee), Iago (Achilles tendon), Strobl (cruciate ligament), Vargas (ankle)
Coach: Enrico Maaßen

Gladbach: Omlin - Lainer (Wolf 87'), Itakura, Elvedi, Bensebaini - Weigl (Friedrich 90'+1), Kone (Telalovic 87') - Ngoumou (Herrmann 75'), Kramer (c) (Neuhaus 46'), Plea - Thuram
Unused subs: Olschowsky, Netz, Jantschke, Scally
Out: Stindl (suspended)
Coach: Daniel Farke