Thuram and Bensebaini see off 10-man Hoffenheim

Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1 Hoffenheim
Goals: 0-1 Skov 25’ (assist: Kramaric), 1-1 Bensebaini 42’ (assist: Itakura), 2-1 Thuram 71’ (assist: Plea), 3-1 Elvedi 78’ (assist: Plea)
Red card: Posch (19’)

Both Gladbach and Hoffenheim were beginning the new season under new management, full of hope but also unsure of what the campaign will bring. Things got off to a tetchy start at Borussia-Park but soon heated up as a few challenges went in. It was one too many, too early for Stefan Posch, however, as he was shown a second yellow after just 19 minutes. Yet it was the 10 men from Sinsheim who forged ahead when Georginio Rutter burst down the right and cut the ball back. Andrej Kramaric then teed up Robert Skov, who rifled his shot through Yann Sommer. It took the Foals some time to get back in their stride, but they went into the break level thanks to a moment of magic from Bensebaini. The Algeria international pulled out an acrobatic overhead kick to turn home a knockdown from debutant Ko Itakura from a corner.

A promising counter-attack from the visitors failed to materialise in an effort on goal early after the restart as Kramaric stumbled in the box. Borussia then went straight up the other end and rattled the frame of Oliver Baumann’s goal thanks to a sweet effort from American defender Joe Scally. The 10 men of Hoffenheim looked content to settle for the point, but Gladbach upped the ante in search of all three points. The breakthrough eventually came as Alassane Plea – the day after he penned a new contract at the club – pierced the TSG defence and birthday-boy Thuram finished past Baumann. Plea then set up the Foals’ third of the afternoon with a lovely chip over the top for centre-back Elvedi to take down and bury, earning Daniel Farke his first win in the Bundesliga as a coach.

• Posch’s dismissal was the earliest for two yellow cards by a Hoffenheim player in the Bundesliga.
• Skov got his first league goal since April 2021 against Augsburg.
• Bensebaini kept up his record of scoring in every Bundesliga campaign since joining Gladbach. He’s got at least four goals in all three previous seasons.
• Thuram now has more goals in the first two games of this season (four) than he did in the 23 appearances across 2021/22.
• The 13 goals Hoffenheim have conceded from set pieces in the 2022 calendar year is the most by any Bundesliga club.
• Hoffenheim are winless in their last 10 Bundesliga matches (D3, L7).

Watch: Farke: "Really happy with the win"

Gladbach: Sommer (c) - Scally (Lainer 84’), Itakura, Elvedi, Bensebaini – Kone, Kramer, Neuhaus - Hofmann (Herrmann 89'), Thuram, Plea
Unused subs: Sippel, Wolf, Beyer, Fraulo, Jantschke, Reitz, Borges
Out: Friedrich (muscular), Stindl (muscular), Wolf (hamstring)
Coach: Daniel Farke

Hoffenheim: Baumann (c) - Posch, Vogt, Kabak - Kaderabek (Akpoguma 64’), Samassekou (Nsoki 24’), Prömel, Skov - Baumgartner (Damar 80’), Kramaric (Rudy 80’) - Rutter (Bruun Larsen 64’)
Unused subs: Philipp, Dabbur, Becker, Bischof
Out: Bebou (knee), Bicakcic (knee), Geiger (illness), Hübner (ankle), Stiller (ankle)
Coach: Andre Breitenreiter