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90'
+ 6
FULL TIME!
Gladbach hold on to all three points after a furious finale from Cologne, who were so close to snatching an equaliser! With this win, the Foals climb back into the top four, just six points from the Bundesliga summit and right back in the hunt!
Full-time
90'
+ 5
DREXLER CLOSE!
Cologne going for it here and Drexler's shot deflects wide. Horn is up for the corner, but Cordoba sends a header wide! Scenes!
90'
+ 3
HORN UP!
Timo Horn nhas raced forward for a free-kick, and he gets his head to it! As he scampers back, Cologne's attack continues and Uth is left with just Sommer to beat, but he volleys straight at the Swiss goalkeeper!
88'
Substitution
88'
UTH ON FIRE
The Cologne forward now has four goals in his past six games. Can he make that five?
85'
FINAL ROLL OF THE DICE
The forward Modeste comes on for the defender Mere - a clear message from Gisdol and Cologne heading into the final few minutes!
85'
Substitution
83'
CORDOBA CLOSE!
We have a grandstand finish on our hands! Cordoba heads just wide, and it is all Cologne now, searching for that equaliser.
82'
Substitution
80'
SOMMER SLIPS, UTH THANKS
A bad moment for Yann Sommer to slip as he's kicking the ball out, and he only finds Uth, who seizes the opportunity, takes on his man and then finds the top right-hand corner with Sommer not entirely back in his goal. That sets up an interesting final ten minutes!
76'
Substitution
72'
Substitution
71'
MERE OWN GOAL!
Embolo sends the ball in from the right and Mere, who opened the scoring for Cologne against Paderborn last Friday night, has scored again, albeit into his own goal.
66'
FIRST CHANGE
Cologne coach Markus Gisdol pulls the first ace out of his sleeve, and it bears the name Drexler. He comes on for Kainz, with some fresh legs on an increasingly heavy pitch.
66'
Substitution
60'
COLOGNE CHANCE!
The first opportunity of this second half for Cologne, but Uth and Cordoba both get in each other's way and neither is able to get a clear sight of goal!
53'
NO FAIR WEATHER
This game was initially postponed when Storm Ciari swept across Europe, and now there is a deluge at Borussia Park. Is the weather trying to tell these Rhine rivals something?
51'
HORN AGAIN
Horn does well to deflect a Patrick Herrmann effort behind for Gladbach's third corner of this second half, which leads to Elvedi heading just inches wide.
50'
UNDER PRESSURE
After two quick-fire corners, Gladbach have kept up the pressure with Timo Horn having to intervene twice to punch the ball away from his six-yard box. This is a good moment for the Foals!
48'
PLEA CLOSE!
The first chance of the second half comes for Gladbach with Plea's shot taking a deflection off Mere and going behind for a corner.
Kick-off!
45'
+ 1
THE EXTRA MILE
Gladbach ran a full 1.85 miles further than Cologne in that first half, and enjoyed 57 per cent possession. That may vindicate their lead, although Cologne had more shots (seven) than the Foals (four).
45'
+ 1
HALF TIME
A very tight first 45 minutes with few chances, but Embolo's moment of genius ensured Gladbach go in at the break with an advantage. Cologne have had chances, though, and that lone goal may well not be enough for victory.
Half-time
45'
+ 1
CLEAN DERBY
It has been a remarkably clean Rhine Derby so far with just three fouls by a Gladbach player and only one by Cologne, which led to Kainz's yellow card.
45'
SEVEN FOR EMBOLO
That is now seven goals this season for Embolo, albeit his first in 2020. That means he already has two more than he did all last season, while five of his last six goals have come at Borussia Park.
33'
KAINZ WARNED!
Perhaps a bit of frustration there from Kainz, who is the first player to see his name scribbled into the referee's book, and not as a reminder to send a birthday card.
31'
EMBOLO STRIKES!
What a way to celebrate only your second start of 2020! Embolo receives the ball from Herrmann, who is also making a rare start, and he curls his effort perfectly into the far corner, the ball kissing the inside of the post on its way in.
27'
WAYWARD FROM KAINZ
Kainz finds space at the far post for a volley which he cannot keep down, but it is yet another warning to Gladbach that Cologne are keen on a derby victory this evening!
24'
TOO FAST FOR PLEA!
A bit of pinball in the Cologne area with the ball striking Plea and going wide rather than the Gladbach forward getting in a shot.
21'
UTH CLOSE!
Mark Uth steps up for a 25-yard free-kick which he sends over the wall, but also over the crossbar – just!
14'
PLEA SHOT!
Gladbach's first shot on target comes from Plea, who manages to test Timo Horn, but not enough to cause him any major concern.
9'
CORDOBA CHANCE!
Another good break for Cologne with Jakobs not even entertaining the idea of giving up as the ball raced away from him towards the goalline. He wraps his left boot around it and cuts the ball back for Cordoba, who manages to get something on the ball with a deflection taking the sting out of it and allowing Sommer to scoop the ball up. Two warnings for the hosts in a matter of minutes.
8'
UTH BREAKS THROUGH
While Gladbach have been struggling to find a way through, Mark Uth has got behind the back of the Gladbach defence, but his mixture of a shot and a cross causes no concern to Yann Sommer.
6'
POSSESSION WITHOUT PROGRESS
Gladbach are playing the ball around and keeping possession, but so far it is more a case of side to side than forwards, with Cologne not leaving them any gaps to play through. A bit of invention is needed for The Foals.
4'
CORNER FOR GLADBACH
The first threat of the game comes from the corner flag, with Oscar Wendt's kick heading to the far post and coming back into the danger area for Embolo, but he cannot get any power behind his header towards goal. Threat averted.
Kick-off!
KICK-OFF!
We are underway at Borussia Park!
HIGH STAKES
So, before the teams emerge, what is at stake this evening? Gladbach can climb back into the top four with a win, and to within six points of the league leaders Bayern Munich. Three points for Cologne could lift them a place to ninth, and to within two points of the top six. Oh, and of course you get local bragging rights for quite a few months too…
IF IT AINT BROKE…
…don't fix it. That is how Markus Gisdol has viewed his team, with the return of Cordoba the one and only change he has made. On the bench, he is able to welcome Noah Katterbach back from injury – he was last in the Cologne matchday squad when this game was originally scheduled to be played!
ALL CHANGE
Gladbach coach Marco Rose has made a total of five changes from the side which started the defeat to Dortmund at the weekend. That is the most changes he has made from one game to the next this calendar year. Breel Embolo makes only his second start of 2020, with Patrick Herrmann beginning for the first time since Matchday 19.
CORDOBA BACK
Cologne also have a striker returning with Jhon Cordoba starting this evening. He takes the place of Anthony Modeste and will look to continue his purple patch, which has seen him plunder ten goals in his past 12 Bundesliga games.
THURAM RETURNS
Marcus Thuram is back in the Gladbach starting XI after a knee injury saw him start the battle of the Borussias on the bench at the weekend, and how much could the Foals do with him rediscovering his form? The Frenchman has not found the back of the net in 11 Bundesliga fixtures, although he does have three assists from his past four outings.
BUNDESLIGA ON A WEDNESDAY?
Do not adjust your screens: there really is Bundesliga football today! Yay! After storm Ciara forced the Matchday 21 fixture between Gladbach and Cologne to be postponed - it was originally scheduled for early February - the teams play the game today.
GLADBACH STARTING LINE-UP:
Sommer - Lainer, Ginter, Elvedi, Wendt - Strobl, Kramer - Herrmann, Embolo, Thuram - Plea
GLADBACH SUBS:
Sippel, Jantschke, Bensebaini, Stindl, Johnson, Hofmann, Raffael, Traore
COLOGNE STARTING LINE-UP:
Horn - Ehizibue, Mere, Leistner, Schmitz - Skhiri, Hector (c) - Kainz, Uth, Jakobs - Cordoba
COLOGNE SUBS:
Krahl, Katterbach, Voloder, Höger, Rexhbecaj, Drexler, Terodde, Modeste, Thielmann
Welcome along to the match centre for the game M'gladbach vs. Köln from matchday 21 of the 2019/20 Bundesliga season at the BORUSSIA-PARK. Check back here for full information on the match.