Bundesliga
Borussia Mönchengladbach continued their recent revival with an impressive 3-1 win over local rivals Cologne, securing back-to-back Bundesliga victories for the first time this season.
Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1 Cologne
Goals: 1-0 Sander 45’+2, 2-0 Diks 61’ (pen.), 3-0 Tabaković 64’ (assist: Honorat), 3-1 Waldschmidt 90’+2 (pen.)
The 50th instalment of the Rhine derby to be played in Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga presented a curious role reversal, with newly promoted Cologne sitting nine places above struggling Gladbach - an unprecedented scenario in this fixture's rich history.
The Foals, however, entered the contest with renewed confidence after claiming their first league win in over seven months with a 4-0 thrashing of St. Pauli the previous weekend.
Both sides started cautiously, with genuine chances at a premium in the early exchanges. Cologne's Marius Bülter forced a smart save from Moritz Nicolas after 10 minutes, while the visitors controlled possession without creating clear openings.
The match burst into life just before half-time when Franck Honorat was brought down in the box by Kristoffer Lund. Following VAR intervention, the referee pointed to the spot. Haris Tabaković stepped up but saw his penalty brilliantly saved by Marvin Schwäbe.
Fortune favoured the hosts, however, as the resulting corner led to Philipp Sander firing home a powerful half-volley in added time to send Gladbach into the break with a slender advantage.
Cologne head coach Lukas Kwasniok may have made a double substitution at half-time, introducing Ragnar Ache and Sebastian Sebulonsen, but it was Gladbach who seized control after the restart.
Another VAR review punished Lund for a handball in the 61st minute, and this time Kevin Diks stepped up to confidently dispatch the penalty.
Just three minutes later, the derby was effectively settled when Honorat broke through Cologne's defence and unselfishly squared for Tabaković to tap home for a commanding 3-0 lead.
The visitors nearly responded immediately as Jakub Kamiński struck the woodwork, but despite pushing forward in the closing stages, they could only manage a consolation penalty converted by substitute Luca Waldschmidt in stoppage time. The 3-1 victory gave Eugen Polanski's men back-to-back league wins for the first time since winter 2020/21.
While Tabaković, Diks and Sander may have got on the scoresheet, Honorat was the catalyst for Gladbach's impressive derby triumph. The Frenchman was a constant menace down the right, using his blistering pace - he recorded the match's top speed of 34.92 km/h - to repeatedly stretch Cologne's defence.
His intelligent movement won the first-half penalty, and although that wasn't converted, his selfless assist for Tabaković's crucial third goal demonstrated both his creative vision and team-first mentality.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Gladbach 2.74 - Cologne 2.04
Fastest player: Honorat (Gladbach), 34.92 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Sander (Gladbacg), 14 per cent
Most pressed player: Tabaković (Gladbach), 16 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Lukas Ullrich (Gladbach), +3.45
Fantasy Heroes: Tabaković (Gladbach, 261 Points), Sander (Gladbach, 191 Points), Honorat (Gladbach, 185 Points)