Sommer shines again as Gladbach draw

Freiburg 0-0 Gladbach

Having slipped to a first defeat of the season against Mainz last week, Gladbach began as if determined to make immediate amends and put Freiburg under pressure from the outset. Ramy Bensebaini's volley from a corner only narrowly missed both the goal and Julian Weigl's desperate back-post lunge, before Mark Flekken thwarted Marcus Thuram on 15 minutes. Chances came thick and fast as Thuram blazed over the bar from the edge of the area before Flekken was called into action again to deny Jonas Hofmann and the ever-lively Thuram. At the other end of the pitch, Sommer produced a fine stop from Daniel-Kofi Kyereh after he was played through by Vincenzo Grifo, while Michael Gregoritsch opted to shoot instead of passing to the unmarked Grifo with the clearest opening of what was a goalless but entertaining first half.

There was more of the same in the second period as both teams poured forward at every opportunity. Lars Stindl curled wide from a difficult angle with the first clear-cut opening of the half, before Gregoritsch arrived a fraction of a second too late to poke in a teasing right-wing cross at the back post. Stindl was denied by another fine Flekken stop in a game that increasingly appeared to be a case of the goalkeepers outdoing each other. Wooyeong Jeong arguably had the best opportunity for a winner after twisting and turning inside the box to fashion space for a shot, but his effort from 12 yards was parried by Sommer, ultimately leaving both teams with a point for their efforts.

• Sommer made six saves in this game; Flekken made five.
• Gregoritsch had seven shots at goal, more than any other player in the Bundesliga on Matchday 6.
• Stindl made his first Bundesliga start of the season, as did summer signing Julian Weigl.
• Gladbach had 10 shots in the first half - more than in the first 45 minutes of any game this season.
• This was the Foals' first 0-0 stalemate in the Bundesliga in their last 52 outings, since drawing with Wolfsburg in February 2021.
• Streich’s team are unbeaten in their last 15 meetings with Gladbach (W10, D5).

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Watch: Scally: "First half was one of our best games"

Freiburg: Flekken - Sildillia, Ginter, Lienhart, Günter (c) - Eggestein (Keitel 68'), Höfler - Kyereh (Jeong 69'), Doan (Schade 81'), Grifo (Weißhaupt 82') - Gregoritsch (Petersen 83')
Unused subs: Uphoff, Gulde, Kübler, Schlotterbeck
Out: Ezekwem (muscular), Höler (metatarsal), Sallai (eye socket)
Coach: Christian Streich

Gladbach: Sommer - Scally, Friedrich, Weigl, Bensebaini - Kone, Kramer, Neuhaus (Ngoumou 34', Borges 82') - Hofmann, Thuram, Stindl (c) (Wolf 82')
Unused subs: Sippel, Herrmann, Lainer, Netz, Fraulo, Reitz
Out: Elvedi (ankle), Itakura (suspended), Lainer (thigh), Plea (groin)
Coach: Daniel Farke