Borussia Monchengladbach significantly boosted their chances of securing a top-six finish in the Bundesliga with a crucial 1-0 victory over RB Leipzig.
This hard-fought win marked their first success of the season against a team that began the round ranked ninth or higher.
With the Bundesliga campaign reaching its climax, this matchup between fifth-placed Leipzig and seventh-placed Gladbach had all the makings of a decisive six-pointer.
Gladbach, eager to close the gap, had a golden opportunity to leapfrog their opponents with a victory.
The home side came out with intent, setting the early tempo and carving out the first notable chance.
Alassane Plea’s clever flick-on created space for Robin Hack, but his volley lacked the necessary power and direction to trouble Maarten Vandevoordt.
Leipzig, in contrast, struggled to break through Gladbach’s defensive setup, often resorting to speculative efforts from range.
Xavi Simons epitomized their frustrations with a long-distance attempt that barely had the strength to reach the goal line.
Despite the high stakes, the first half was surprisingly uneventful, falling short of expectations for a clash between two top-end contenders.
However, with everything to play for in the second period, there was an anticipation that the action would intensify after the restart.
Leipzig wasted no time in making their attacking intentions clear, immediately engineering a prime scoring opportunity. Christoph Baumgartner found himself with a glorious chance but sent his shot just over the crossbar.
The Austrian remained at the heart of Leipzig’s advances, soon after sneaking into the box to meet a cross, only to see his header flash agonizingly wide.
Those missed chances proved costly, as Gladbach soon seized their moment.
Ko Itakura appeared poised to break the deadlock, but his powerful strike was blocked. The rebound, however, fell perfectly for Plea, who made no mistake from close range, giving the home side the decisive advantage.
