As Marco Rose’s Gladbach faced a tough start to the season, with Plea and Thuram not fit enough to start he had a slightly weaker side as well as Zakaria, Lazaro and Embolo injured. They set up in a 3-4-3 with Bensebaini as the left sided centre back. Favre’s Dortmund also set up in a 3-4-3 with a young team with players such as Haaland, Sancho, Reyna and Bellingham who all impressed for the opposition, who came out as 2-0 winners to start their new campaign.
Ratings
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average in this match
Ramy Bensebaini
Player profile:
- Nationality: Algerian
- Age: 25
- Date of birth: 16/04/1995
- Current Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
- Career: Paradou AC, Lierse (L), Montpellier (L), Rennes, Borussia Mönchengladbach
- Position: Left Back
- Secondary Position: Centre Back
- Preferred foot: Left
Playing as the left sided centre back in the back three for most of the game, Bensebaini had an okay game and finished the game playing more of a traditional left back role. He pressed out of the line well with good aggression but maybe could have reserved himself at times and stayed closer to the defensive line. He was patient 1v1 and stayed tight to his man with good footwork. He dealt with loose balls well but wasn’t the best in the air. He also gave away a penalty with a risky tackle and although he did the job, he did look at times out of place as a centre back.
In possession he got a lot of the ball. He was calm in possession and good under pressure, although allowed quite a bit of pressure at times where he could have acted quicker. He took a few awkward touches where it looked like the ball was getting away from him but overall had good control and did a decent job in buildup. Overall, not his best game but he did a job in a fairly unfamiliar role.
Rating – B2
Florian Neuhaus
Player profile:
- Nationality: German
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 16/03/1997
- Current Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
- Career: 1860 Munich, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Fortuna Düsseldorf (L)
- Position: Central Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Playing in the midfield, Neuhaus saw a lot of the ball. He received the ball well, with good head checks and awareness. He looked to progress play and was able to break lines with his passing fairly well, looking to pass into the front three between the lines. He carried the ball well even though he didn’t really try to take on his man but did do well to carry into space and also tried to pass-and-move to play through midfield pressure and drew several fouls.
Out of possession he was fairly active and pressed out well, with some good timing to get in the oppositions face as they faced forwards. However he wasn’t very aggressive and has a slim build. Some of his defending could have had better technique and at times he looked a bit panicked. Overall, an okay game where he didn’t stand out but did an okay well-rounded job in midfield.
Rating – B2
Nico Elvedi
Player profile:
- Nationality: Swiss
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 30/09/1996
- Current Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
- Career: FC Zürich, Borussia Mönchengladbach
- Position: Centre Back
- Secondary Position: Right Back
- Preferred foot: Right
Playing as the central defender in the back three, Elvedi had the most touches of any player in the match. His passing was good with good technique and spread play well. He played a few nice clipped forward passes into the front line as well. He was calm on the ball but didn’t face much pressure and maybe could have broken more line along the floor.
Defensively he did okay but wasn’t asked to do much. He was good in the air but did mess up one clearance. As the central defender he was fairly protected and didn’t have to defend 1v1 and didn’t press out of the line but his positioning was good, covering across as the other defenders pressed out. His marking was okay but could have been more aware in the box and for one Haaland chance he was pushed off the ball too easily, lacking physicality and not aggressive enough in the challenge.
Rating – C