Marcus Thuram and Alassane Plea give Borussia Mönchengladbach win at Greuther Fürth
Borussia Mönchengladbach galloped to a third win in four Bundesliga games with Marcus Thuram and Alassane Plea hitting the target against bottom-of-the-table Greuther Fürth.
Greuther Fürth 0-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Goals: 0-1 Thuram 18' (assist: Plea), 0-2 Plea (pen. 24')
Eager to extend their recent unbeaten run to four games - a sequence they hadn't managed for a year - Gladbach took to the task at basement side Fürth with gusto. The returning Thuram shook off an adductor problem to showcase some sublime skills at the Sportpark Ronhof. Dancing his way through the home defence, the 24-year-old might have had a contender for goal of the season, were it not for Andreas Linde's save low down to keep the sides level. The home shot stopper was merely delaying the inevitable, however, and when Thuram raced onto Plea's picture perfect pass, there was nothing the keeper could do to stop a rasping shot back across goal and into the corner. The hosts have provided plenty of fight and entertainment in Germany's top-flight this season, but their destiny appears set and when Plea fired home Gladbach's second from the penalty spot after 24 minutes, home heads understandably dropped.
Each one of Fürth's Bundesliga wins this campaign have come at home and despite an improved showing from Stefan Leitl's team after the break, the chances of the Bavarian side making it a fourth looked slim. Indeed, for all of their spirited movement after the restart, it was the visitors who came closest to extending their lead, Thuram again profiting from a Plea through-ball before drawing a fine save from Linde. Substitute Jessic Ngankam gave the home supporters some cheer with a pair of headers that missed the target. In between times, Florian Neuhaus had a goal chalked off for a foul in the build-up. That ruling would matter little to the visiting Gladbach in the end, with Die Fohlen making it three wins in four games and Fürth edging that much closer to having their 2021/22 fate sealed.
Match stats
- Plea has scored four goals in his last five games. As well as scoring, he set up six shots on goal in this game.
- Thuram, Embolo and Plea have now scored nine of Borussia's last 10 goals.
- Thuram's three Bundesliga goals this season have been scored in his last five games.
- Joe Scally made his 25th Bundesliga appearance. He was 12 years old when US countryman Green made his competitive debut for Bayern Munich in November 2013.
- Fürth could be relegated next week if they lose away to Hoffenheim.
Watch: Scally: "We're on a hot streak right now"
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Line-ups
Fürth: Linde - Griesbeck, Bauer, Viergever - Asta (Ngankam 67'), Tillman (Raschl 78'), Christiansen, Itter (Pululu 86') - Green (Nielsen 78') - Leweling, Hrgota (c) (Abiama 86')
Unused subs: Burchert, Willems, Jung, Fobassam
Out: Dudziak (Achilles), Kehr (knee), Meyerhöfer (ankle), Seguin (calf), Funk (knee)
Coach: Stefan Leitl
Gladbach: Sommer – Ginter (c), Elvedi, Beyer – Lainer (Herrmann 88'), Neuhaus (Kramer 75'), Kone (Benes 88'), Scally – Thuram (Hofmann 82'), Plea (Stindl 75) - Embolo
Unused subs: Sippel, Noß, Bennetts
Out: Friedrich (match fitness), Jantschke (not included), Netz, (abdominals), Bensebaini (knock)
Coach: Adi Hütter
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