The German Football Association (DFB) Sports Tribunal has awarded Borussia Mönchengladbach a 2-0 win over Bochum after their encounter was abandoned in the second half following a safety incident.

Gladbach were 2-0 up in Bochum in the Matchday 27 opener on Friday 18 March thanks to goals by Alassane Plea and Breel Embolo, but play was suspended in the 68th minute and eventually abandoned by referee Benjamin Cortus.

Bochum 0-2 Gladbach
Goals: 0-1 Plea 55' (assist: Netz), 0-2 Embolo 61' (assist: Lainer)

Bochum went into this game two points and two places better off than their visitors, and began intent on widening that gap. Gladbach struggled to match the intensity of their hosts, with Thomas Reis’ side pressing the Foals early and aggressively. That produced the first chance of the half when Christopher Antwi-Adjei nicked the ball off Luca Netz’s toe inside the box and instantly slammed a shot at goal that Yann Sommer could only parry out to Gerrit Holtmann, whose effort on the rebound was blocked by Matthias Ginter. Gladbach had Sommer to thank again a while later when the Swiss custodian produced another fine stop to keep out a goal-bound header from Armel Bella Kotchap. Embolo, Marcus Thuram and Plea were industrious up front for Gladbach at the other end, but failed to find any gaps in a stubborn home rearguard.

Sommer was in the spotlight again early in the second half to frustrate Sebastian Polter, the Bochum forward having flicked on a left-wing cross from the effervescent Holtmann. As is so often the case at the highest level, however, such profligacy gets punished. And so it was here, with Netz curling an out-swinging corner from the left towards the unmarked Plea at the back post, and the Frenchman ruthlessly side-footing in on the volley from 16 yards. Sommer then produced a superb double stop to thwart Antwi-Adjei and Polter from close range in quick succession, before Gladbach doubled their lead on the counter, Stefan Lainer teeing up Embolo to sweep in from the edge of the box. The match was abandoned shortly afterwards.

Match stats

• Gladbach kept a clean sheet in the first half of an away match for the first time this season.
• Plea put Gladbach 1-0 up for the third successive league game. He now has seven Bundesliga goals this term, one more than he managed in the entire 2020/21 campaign.
• Netz's corners have now produced three goals for Gladbach this term.
• Embolo has scored three of his four goals this season away from home.
• Lainer recorded his first assist of 2021/22.
• Gladbach have scored a league-high six goals from corners so far this season.

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Line-ups

Bochum: Riemann - Bockhorn, Bella-Kotchap, Masovic, Stafylidis - Löwen (Osterhage 68'), Losilla (c), Rexhbecaj - Antwi-Adjei, Polter, Holtmann
Unused subs: Esser, Soares, Decarli, Hartwig, Asano, Bonga
Out: Blum (calf), Gamboa (not included), Leitsch (not included), Locadia (hip), Pantovic (not included), Tesche (not included), Zoller (knee)
Coach: Thomas Reis 

Gladbach: Sommer (c) - Beyer, Ginter, Bensebaini - Lainer, Neuhaus, Kone, Netz - Plea, Embolo - Thuram
Unused subs: Sippel, Kramer, Stindl, Benes, Jantschke, Scally, Noß, Bennetts, Gaal
Out: Doucoure (muscular), Elvedi (not included), Friedrich (not included), Herrmann (not included), Hofmann (muscular)
Coach: Adi Hütter 

About the clubs

VfL Bochum 1848

Vonovia Ruhrstadion

Borussia Mönchengladbach

BORUSSIA-PARK