Valentino Lazaro (l.) was on the losing side for Borussia Mönchengladbach against parent club Inter Milan in the Champions League. - © Lars Baron/Getty Images
Valentino Lazaro (l.) was on the losing side for Borussia Mönchengladbach against parent club Inter Milan in the Champions League. - © Lars Baron/Getty Images
Borussia Mönchengladbach suffer narrow defeat to Inter Milan in UEFA Champions League
Borussia Mönchengladbach remain top of UEFA Champions League Group B, despite suffering a narrow 3-2 defeat at home to Inter Milan on Matchday 5 on Tuesday.
As it happened!
2 - 3
(1 - 1)
M'gladbach
FINAL
Inter
Champions League
Matchday 5 Matchday 5 Borussia-Park
Matchday 5 Matchday 5 Borussia-Park
90'
+ 6
NARROW DEFEAT
It's all over and Gladbach suffer their first loss of this Champions League campaign. They're still top of Group B on eight points, with Shakhtar and Real Madrid both on seven, with Inter moving up to six, but it means they'll likely have to win away to Real on 9 December to guarantee a place in the last 16.
End of second half
90'
+ 5
UP COMES SOMMER
Lazaro takes a free-kick wide on the right. Sommer trots forward into the box but it's cleared by an Inter head.
90'
+ 3
NO WAY THROUGH
Lainer strides forward on the right and tries to find Thuram with a low pass into feet, but he's soon surrounded by defenders and Inter can clear.
90'
SIX MINUTES ADDED ON
We're into stoppage time now. Can Gladbach grab a draw?
89'
WIDE FROM BROZOVIC
Brozovic takes a free-kick on the right, playing a one-two with Sanchez before collecting the return on the edge of the box. His left-footed shot rolls well wide, though.
86'
ONE LAST CHANCE?
Gladbach are committing almost everybody forward as they look for an equaliser. There's bound to be a few minutes added on at the end and it's one of those games where you sense there's one more big chance in it - although that could be at either end!
83'
GOAL DISALLOWED
Plea has the ball in the net, finishing low into the corner from Lainer's cutback, but the referee chalks it off after a VAR review. It looks like Embolo might have impeded the goalkeeper's line of sight there.
81'
ZAKARIA DOWN
The Gladbach midfielder is receiving treatment on his calf after Lukaku accidentally stepped on it as Zakaria slid in to tackle him. He looks like he'll be fine to continue playing in a moment, though.
78'
GLADBACH GOING FOR IT
Left-back Wendt is taken off and an attacking midfielder is brought on in Wolf, who scored the only goal of the game in a recent win over RB Leipzig. Can he get another important goal here too?
78'
Substitution
77'
HUGE LUKAKU MISS
The Inter forward has a chance for his hat-trick and to surely put the result beyond all doubt as Ginter's attempted clearance falls at his feet, a yard from goal. Al he needs to do is poke it in, but he gets his feet tangled up and misses!
75'
GLADBACH ARE BACK IN IT!
Thuram plays a wonderful ball behind the Inter defence for Plea to chase. He beats the offside trap and drills a low shot past Handanovic into the far corner!
73'
INTER GET A THIRD
Hakimi is quicker than Wendt to a long ball down the Inter right. He crosses into the middle for Lukaku, who is left with a simple finish past Sommer.
70'
FRESH LEGS
Gladbach look to add fresh impetus to their attack by bringing on the more physical Embolo to further wear down tiring Inter legs.
69'
Substitution
64'
INTER AHEAD AGAIN
Sheer determination from Lukaku here as he scores his third goal in four Champions League games this season. Zakaria can't get tight enough and the Belgium international drills a low shot past Sommer into the far corner from around 14 yards out.
62'
MARTINEZ HITS THE POST!
So, so close from Inter there. Martinez collects a Lukaku knock-down on the edge of the Gladbach penalty area and hits a shot at goal that leaves Sommer rooted to the spot. It hits the outside of the post and bounces clear!
60'
FIRST INTER SUB
Hakimi comes on for Darmian on the right to provide more of an attacking threat. Inter need to win, remember, in order to avoid elimination.
59'
NICE POSITION
Thuram is fouled about 25 yards from goal in a central position. After much discussion, Gladbach try a training ground routine, but it's quickly charged down and blocked by a defender.
55'
ZAKARIA AT CENTRE-BACK
While there's a break in play as Martinez receives treatment following a robust tackle with Lainer, the half-time substitution from Gladbach head coach has brought Zakaria on for Jantschke. Zakaria is normally a central midfielder, but he's slotted in at centre-back alongside Ginter here.
53'
ALMOST AN OWN GOAL
Plea drives forward down the middle and tries to slide a pass into Thuram to his left. De Vrij gets a foot on it to clear, but it loops up and only just goes wide of the post.
51'
THURAM HEADS WIDE!
Gladbach should be in front. Stindl curls an out-swinging corner from the right into the middle and finds Thuram, who has found some space from his marker. The France international has a free header from eight yards out but glances it wide of the far post. He holds his head in anguish - he knows he could have done better there.
46'
Substitution
TEXTBOOK HEADER
© INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images
46'
UNDER WAY AGAIN
The visitors get the ball rolling once more.
Kick-off!
45'
+ 2
ALL SQUARE
Gladbach deservedly level on the stroke of half-time thanks to Plea's lovely finish. They've improved as the half as gone on, but Inter look very dangerous on the break.
Half-time
45'
+ 1
PLEA EQUALISES!
It's been coming and is no less than Gladbach deserve. Lazaro, who has been excellent so far, bends a cross from the right towards the far post, where the unmarked Plea has a free header. The Frenchman makes no mistake from six yards.
43'
STINDL APPEALS
The Gladbach captain appears to be bundled over in the box by Bastoni as he goes for a cross. He appeals for a penalty but the referee waves play on.
40'
CHANCE FOR MARTINEZ
Inter find space on the break again and as Martinez enters the box on the right he shapes to shoot, but cuts inside onto his left. He could curl one towards the back post here, but opts to slide it towards Lukaku, who is crowded out by Ginter.
39'
LAZARO BLOCKED
Stindl plays a perfectly waited pass into Lazaro's path on the right. He's at a bit of a tight angle but doesn't have a teammate to aim for in the middle, so shoots towards the far post - blocked!
36'
LAINER HAS A GO!
Neuhaus spreads the play wide to Lainer on the right. His marker is expecting a cross and turns his back, so the Gladbach defender cuts inside and smacks a left-footed shot at goal. Handanovic gets down well to save but it goes to Wendt, arriving on the edge of the area. He chips it into the middle to Stindl, whose header is also kept out by the Inter 'keeper.
33'
SOMMER DENIES MARTINEZ
Another counter from Inter, and again Lukaku leads the charge. He slips a pass into Martinez, and although his first shot is blocked by Jantschke's lunge, the ball falls straight back at his feet. The striker only has Sommer left to beat, but the Gladbach goalkeeper produces a brilliant stop at his near post to keep his side in the game.
31'
LOVELY FROM GLADBACH
Stindl spies Lazaro tearing down the right wing and lays the ball into his path. The Austrian crosses first time towards the back post, where Thuram is arriving unmarked, but Handanovic pounces off his line to smother.
30'
PROMISING FREE-KICK
Skriniar brings down Thuram on the left, just outside the Inter box. Stindl takes the set-piece and whips a teasing delivery across the area towards the far post. It just needs a touch to go in, but there are no Gladbach shirts nearby.
26'
BARELLA DOWN
The Inter midfield stays on the ground clutching his hip after seemingly landing awkwardly following an aerial tussle with Thuram. He receives treatment for a couple of minutes but is able to continue.
HEADS UP, LADS
© Lars Baron/Getty Images
22'
NICE MOVE
Neuhaus bites off more than he can chew in midfield and dribbles himself into trouble. Lukaku strides forward and plays a diagonal ball forward to Martinez, who cushions it down for Barella on the edge of the box. The midfielder takes a first-time shot that whizzes narrowly over the bar.
20'
Yellow card
17'
INTER TAKE THE LEAD
Gladbach struggle to clear their lines and Gagliardini slides a pass into Darmian's path as he arrives into the right-hand side of the box. He smacks a first-time effort towards the near post, and it's got too much power on it for Sommer to save.
15'
YOUNG FIRES WIDE
Lukaku sprints down the right and crosses to the edge of the Gladbach area, where Young is arriving. He takes a touch to control the ball and gets a show off, but it's deflected wide for a corner.
13'
GLADBACH GROWING
The hosts have taken a while to find their feet but have started to look increasingly confident over the last few minutes. They haven't had a scoring chance as yet, but momentum is building.
10'
STINDL BOOKED
The Gladbach captain is the first name taken by the referee here, the 32-year-old having committed a tactical foul in the centre circle to prevent an Inter counter-attack.
10'
Yellow card
6'
FIRST SIGHT OF GOAL FOR INTER
Darmian scurries down the right wing and plays a quick low cross into the middle, where Martinez is arriving at the near post. His first shot is blocked by Jantschke, and although the rebound falls nicely at his feet again, Jantschke is able to get in another block before Wendt hoofs it clear.
4'
THURAM TRACKING BACK
The France international helps out left-back Wendt, racing back from halfway to double up on Barella and clear the danger.
3'
SPARRING
Both teams are still just trying to settle, attempting to get comfortable on the ball and get forward if possible.
1'
HERE WE GO!
Gladbach get the ball rolling at Borussia-Park!
Kick-off!
GROUP WINNERS?
Shakhtar, beaten 6-0 away and 4-0 at home by Gladbach in recent weeks, have just recorded a 2-0 home victory over Real Madrid, lifting the Ukrainian side above the Spaniards and into second in the Group B standings on account of their better head-to-head record. As surprise a result as that is, it means that Gladbach will progress to the last 16 as group winners with a victory here.
EVEN HEAD-TO-HEAD
That encounter in October was just the fifth between these teams, and third draw overall. Both sides have won once, although the first four matches all took place in the 1970s.
CHANCE TO MAKE AMENDS
Gladbach were a touch unfortunate, or perhaps naive, in their first two group outings this season, conceding late on from winning positions to draw 2-2 with both Inter and Real Madrid. In the reverse fixture in Italy on 21 October, the Foals fought back from 1-0 down in the second half to lead 2-1, only for Romelu Lukaku to equalise in the 90th minute. Marco Rose's side have been much more streetwise in their intervening matches though, and currently top the group on eight points.
THREE CHANGES FOR GLADBACH
Marco Rose has shuffled a few things around for tonight's game against Inter Milan. Stefan Lainer returns at right-back, which means Valentino Lazaro pushes higher up and takes Patrick Herrmann's place on the right wing, having deputised for fellow Austria international Lainer on the weekend. Christop Kramer slots into midfield for Denis Zakaria, who is still coming back from a long-term injury, while captain Lars Stindl replaces Breel Embolo, meaning Alassane Plea will probably lead the line. All in all, three changes from the 4-1 win over Schalke.
GLADBACH STARTING XI
Sommer - Lainer, Ginter, Jantschke, Wendt - Kramer, Neuhaus - Lazaro, Stindl (c), Thuram - Plea
GLADBACH SUBS
Sippel, Grün, Lang, Herrmann, Zakaria, Wolf, Beyer, Traore, Benes, Embolo, Poulsen
INTER STARTING XI
Handanovic (c) - Skriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni - Darmian, Barella, Brozovic, Gagliardini, Young - Lukaku, Martinez
INTER SUBS
Stankovic, Radu, Hakimi, Sanchez, Sensi, Ranocchia, Perisic, Eriksen, D'Ambrosio
A HISTORIC NIGHT FOR GLADBACH?
Borussia Mönchengladbach have never reached the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League - in its modern format, at any rate - but they will be through to the Last 16 if they can beat Inter Milan at the Borussia-Park tonight. Join us around an hour before kick-off for team news and live coverage of what promises to be a fascinating game.
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