Gladbach 2019/20 season preview

bundesliga.com takes a closer look at what to expect from the Foals…

Aims in 2019/20

It was so close for Gladbach last season as they missed out on UEFA Champions League football to Bayer Leverkusen on the final day. It spelled the end of Dieter Hecking’s three-year tenure as coach with the club welcoming in new boss Rose from Red Bull Salzburg.

The 42-year-old arrives in Mönchengladbach as a two-time league champion in Austria, winning the double in 2018/19, and an experienced head in the UEFA Europa League, where Gladbach will compete this season.

While many will expect a good European run this year, few are expecting a title challenge from the five-time Bundesliga champions. A top-four finish is certainly the aim for this young Borussia side, and an extended DFB Cup run beyond the turn of the year would also be welcomed by the Gladbach faithful.

Player to watch

Thorgan Hazard was the big name in the Gladbach squad but the winger has now left for the other Borussia in Dortmund. It creates space for last season’s top scorer Alassane Plea to take a leading role in 2019/20. The 25-year-old scored eight goals in his first 11 Bundesliga games, finishing with a total of 12 as Gladbach finished fifth. With captain Lars Stindl struggling with injuries and Raffael the wrong side of 30, Plea could now form a potent partnership with new signings Breel Embolo and Marcus Thuram.

Watch: Plea and Gladbach take Bayern apart at the Allianz Arena

IN: Laszlo Benes (Holstein Kiel, end of loan), Ramy Bensebaini (Stade Rennais), Breel Embolo (Schalke), Max Grün (Darmstadt), Jacob Italiano (Perth Glory, end of loan), Stefan Lainer (Red Bull Salzburg), Marcus Thuram (Guingamp)

OUT: Josip Drmic (Norwich City), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund), Moritz Nicolas (Union Berlin, loan)

How they might line up

The Borussia Park replaced the storied, much-loved but utterly outdated Bökelberg Stadium in 2004, when Borussia competitively inaugurated their new home with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Dortmund. Although the arena has a maximum capacity of 59,724 spectators, there is a limit of 54,010 for the Bundesliga due to a redesign of the South Stand.

In any case, the Borussia Park is a thoroughly modern stadium, with top-class views from all angles and an impressive green-white-black lighting system. The facilities inside are as swish as anywhere in Germany, while standing tickets start as cheaply as €14.50. While all of that makes it well worth a visit, the centrepiece is the noise: Gladbach fans are as passionate as any in the land, with the famed Nordkurve (North Stand) whipping up quite a din every other week.

Matchday 1: Schalke (h) – Saturday, 17 August, 6.30pm CEST
Matchday 2: Mainz (a) – Saturday, 24 August, 3.30pm CEST
Matchday 3: RB Leipzig (h) – Friday, 30 August, 8.30pm CEST
Matchday 4: Cologne (a) – Saturday, 14 September, 3.30pm CEST
Matchday 5: Fortuna Düsseldorf (h) – Sunday, 22 September, 3.30pm CEST