F. Willenborg
Full-time
90'
WHAT A MOMENT FOR DOUCOURE
Mamadou Doucoure is on for his Bundesliga debut. An incredible moment for the Frenchman, who has been with Gladbach since 2016 and has been cursed by injuries until now. The 22-year-old defensive midfielder now finally able to make his miaden first team appearance.
90'
Substitution
90'
Substitution
86'
ALL SQUARE IN THE SCORING BATTLE
Plea matches Thuram's total of 10 Bundesliga goals for the season, with Plea also contributing 10 assists in the current campaign compared to Thuram's 8. One of the deadliest attacks in the league this season.
81'
PLEA SEALS THE DEAL!
It's four for Gladbach and the first of the day for Plea. Bensebaini's cross is actually behind him, but Plea turns onto his left foot and clips the ball beyond Gikiewicz into the far bottom corner. A superb finish from that position, and he has a goal to go with his two assists.
82'
Substitution
82'
Substitution
80'
Substitution
80'
Substitution
79'
INGVARTSEN FIRES WIDE
Space just opened up there for the Union forward but he couldn't get his shot on target from his left foot. Union just not clinical in front of goal today, with their goal coming from a set piece.
76'
MEES HAS A GO
That was closer than it looked from the substitute, who curled a shot at goal from the edge of the Gladbach box. Sommer did watch it curls past his post in a calm manor, however.
75'
FINAL 15...
The home side are deservedly ahead. Almost 60 per cent possession and 15 attempts on goal, but Union are not giving up at all. One goal could change this in the business end of the game.
72'
Substitution
69'
THURAM POWERING ON
On a brace already, Thuram pushes his way into the Union box at the near side and all the way towards Gikiewicz's near post. He pokes the ball at goal, but the Poland goalkeeper is right there to bat it away.
65'
Substitution
65'
RYERSON CAN'T CONTINUE
The full-back is coming off here after taking a heavy knock from Neuhaus' challenge.
63'
FANTASTIC FRENCHMEN
It's now 10 goals and 8 assists for Thuram this season, and 9 goals and 10 assists for Plea. An outstanding return from Gladbach's French pair in attack.
61'
NEUHAUS BOOKED
The Gladbach goalscorer is booked for a challenge on Ryerson. He won the ball, but also the man...
60'
Substitution
59'
THE FRENCH CONNECTION AGAIN
Hofmann wins the ball off Prömel around the Union box and plays Plea the ball on the right. He whips a low cross to the back post with fantastic vision to see Thuram's run, and he duly thumps the ball into the open net.
57'
NICE MOVE
Lainer plays a lovely cross into the box for Plea, who controls well on his chest with his left shoulder to goal, and fires a shot at goal. Gikiewicz is well placed to gather it though with the home side pushing on again to make sure they stay in the lead.
53'
HERRMANN SO CLOSE
Gladbach waking up again as Stindl latches onto a loose ball first and slides Herrmann in on goal. He takes the ball past Gikiewicz, but pressure from Schlotterbeck forces Herrmann wide and he's also able to block his ensuing shot behind.
52'
WHAT A SEASON FOR ANDERSSON
We mentioned in the build-up that Sweden striker Andersson had scored 12 goals across his two seasons in Bundesliga 2 with Union, helping them to promotion last season. He has now reached 12 goals this season in his and the club's debut Bundesliga campaign.
50'
SET PIECE DOES THE TRICK
Trimmel clips a free-kick into the Gladbach box and Ingvartsen is able to push the ball across goal - with his knee by the looks of it - and Andersson is perfectly placed the head home beyond Sommer. European football's leading scorer with his head does it again...
49'
BETTER ALREADY
It's been a strong start to this second half for Union, with the home side rarely getting a touch on the ball. The change of formation has certainly helped open new corridors forward for the capital side.
46'
Substitution
46'
BÜLTER HAS A GO!
Just 10 seconds into the second half and Union have their first shot on target. A volley at goal from Bülter, which bounces kindly in front of Sommer for him to make a save.
46'
BACK UNDERWAY
The second half is underway in Mönchengladbach and a change for Union. Felix Kroos is on for Neven Subotic which sees Union revert to a four-man defence.
Kick-off!
Half-time
44'
LAINER IN THE BOOK
A rash foul from Lainer as he misses the ball and finds Bülter, and is shown his 7th yellow card of the season.
41'
A LOVELY, LOVELY GOAL!
Pure class from Gladbach to double their lead before the break. It's Hofmann who collects Elvedi's pass in midfield and finds Plea in space on the left. He reaches the corner of the Union box and spots Thuram breaking from Subotic at the back post. A floated cross from Frenchman to Frenchman is then headed home at the near post by Thuram, giving no chance to Gikiewicz. Pin-perfect from Borussia.
38'
UNION BATTLING
They've got onto the ball more often since going behind and the away side have also completed 50 tackles to their hosts' 40 in this first half. The only thing lacking so far is the attacking impetus, with Sommer still yet to be tested.
35'
NEUHAUS' GOAL A BIG ONE FOR BORUSSIA
Neuhaus' goal to put Gladbach ahead here was the Foals' 3,000th in their Bundesliga history. Only Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen have scored more.
33'
FIRST CAUTION FOR GLADBACH
A tactical foul on Bülter as he looked to break away for Union puts Hofmann's name in the referee's book.
30'
SUBOTIC DENIES HERRMANN
A fantastic tackle from Subotic to stop Herrmann in front of goal. It was a perfect through ball from Plea to send the winger in on goal, but Subotic came across to stop him in his tracks.
29'
HERE COME UNION
The away side finally get themselves forward and into the Gladbach box. Friedrich heads over from the back post after a clipped cross from Gentner to the back post. Still no attempts on target for Sommer to have to deal with.
28'
COULD THIS BE OVER ALREADY?
Gladbach are yet to suffer defeat this season having taken the opening lead in a game, while Union have yet to go on and winning a game after conceding first...
23'
NEXT CHANCE
Stindl now with another shot at goal, this time a low effort from the left corner of the Union box which Gikiewicz gets down to well. It's all Gladbach here at the moment. Union sparingly getting on the ball and moving forward.
20'
AS THINGS STANDS
Gladbach are now above Leverkusen on goal-difference and into third, with just two points separating Leipzig in 5th and Dortmund in 2nd with Leipzig in action tomorrow evening at Cologne.
17'
OUTSTANDING FROM NEUHAUS!
The Gladbach midfielder dribbles his way through to score a scrumptious goal. It's Hermann who flicks the ball inside for Neuhaus, who skips past Friedrich on the edge of the Union box and battles to earn a shot towards the near post. Gikiewicz can't reach it and it hits the inside of his post, but bounces across the line and into the bottom corner on the other side of the goal. Persistence paying off there for Neuhaus.
16'
THURAM RACING AWAY
Tidy play from Gladbach to create a counter for Thuram as Hofmann slides the Frenchman in behind the Union defence. He's forced wide to the left and goes for goal from just edge of the Union box, but his shot aimed across goal is tame from his left foot and Gikiewicz mops it up.
13'
WHAT AN EFFORT FROM NEUHAUS!
We've seen Neuhaus score from range by lobbing a goalkeeper before this season and he went for it again here. This time from inside his own half, the Munich-born midfield hits a shot at goal with Gikiewicz well off his line. The Polish goalkeeper sprints back and tips the ball just over his own crossbar. What a goal that would have been.
12'
GLADBACH PRESSING
A few half chances for the home side. Thuram's cross from the left side of the box is tipped away by Gikiewicz before Hofmann beats Andersson to a loose ball and has a shot deflected behind for a corner. The home on top of possession here so far, but Union happy to work with it.
10'
WARNING FOR SUBOTIC
A late challenge on Lainer from the Union defender after a loose touch on the ball gets him a warning from referee Frank Willenborg.
8'
STINDL WITH AN EFFORT
The first real attacking move of the game comes from the home side. Thuram linking up with Stindl in the Union box, but Stindl doesn't get the contact he'd want behind his shot and it slides towards Gikiewicz for a comfortable save.
5'
STANDARD START
Both sides have had phases of possession here. Gladbach have Neuhaus and Hofmann in midfield, the keys between linking defence and attack today. Those two will be seeing plenty of the ball.
1'
AWAY WE GO
The ball is rolling in the Mönchengladbach sunshine at Borussia-Park. The home crowd's cardboard cut-outs have pride of place and we're ready for the action.
Kick-off!
WATCH OUT FOR DEBUTS
Four Gladbach youngsters are on the bench today and ready to make their Bundesliga debuts if called upon. Mamadou Doucoure, Torben Müsel, Famana Quizera and Kaan Kurt are all waiting in the wings.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
A win today would see Gladbach climb above Bayer Leverkusen into third place in the Bundesliga, before RB Leipzig play tomorrow. Just four points separate the four teams between 2nd and 5th in the table as we come towards the business end of the season. For Union, it's a four-point gap between themselves and Fortuna Düsseldorf in the relegation play-off spot with Augsburg and Mainz in between. Any points are vital in their race to stay in the Bundesliga in their debut top-flight season.
FUN FACT
Union centre-back Neven Subotic and Rose were teammates at Mainz. The former made his Bundesliga debut in the latter’s final German top-flight outing on 19 May 2007.
HEADING THEIR WAY FORWARD
The away side today are the strongest team in the air in the Bundesliga this season. That's mainly lead by striker Sebastian Andersson, who leads the league in aerial duels won. Union's leading marksman scored 12 times across each of his previous two full Bundesliga 2 campaigns. He is already on 11 after 28 rounds of Bundesliga fixtures.
KEYS TO A FOAL VICTORY?
Alassane Plea and Marcus Thuram - Gladbach's French firing forwards - have nine and eight Bundesliga goals respectively so far this season. Both have weighed in with eight assists as well, and start as part of a three-man attack with Patrick Herrmann alongside them.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Of the 52 teams Gladbach have faced in the Bundesliga, Union are the only one they are yet to beat. Union have come out on top of their two previous meetings with Gladbach, winning the reverse fixture and triumphing on penalties in the 2000/01 DFB Cup semi-finals.
UNION TEAM NEWS
Just the two changes for Urs Fischer's Union with Robert Andrich out after receiving a red card in the 1-1 draw with Mainz during the week. Julian Ryerson also drops to the bench with Christopher Lenz recalled after returning to full fitness from injury in the last few days.
GLADBACH TEAM NEWS
Three changes to the Foals team for today by Marco Rose after their entertaining 0-0 draw at Bremen in the week. Tony Jantschke (suspension), Oscar Wendt and Christoph Kramer all drop out with Ramy Bensebaini, Jonas Hofmann and Patrick Herrmann all in to start in a very attacking team put out. It's not helped by the fact that the likes of Denis Zakaria, Tobias Strobl and Breel Embolo are all ruled out.
GLADBACH STARTING XI!
Sommer - Lainer, Ginter, Elvedi, Bensebaini - Hofmann, Neuhaus - Stindl (c) – Herrmann, Plea, Thuram
GLADBACH SUBS
Sippel, Doucoure, Kramer, Traore, Wendt, Benes, Müsel, Quizera, Kurt
UNION STARTING XI!
Gikiewicz - Friedrich, Schlotterbeck, Subotic - Trimmel (c), Gentner, Prömel, Lenz - Ingvartsen, Bülter – Andersson
UNION SUBS
Nicolas, Ryerson, Mees, Ujah, Malli, Hübner, Abdullahi, Kroos, Schmiedebach