Nuremberg relegated after being hit for four by Borussia Mönchengladbach
Nuremberg were relegated from the Bundesliga following a 4-0 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach, who bolstered their top-four hopes with victory at the Max-Morlock-Stadion.
Nuremberg 0-4 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Goals: 0-1 Drmic (56’), 0-2 Mühl (o.g. 63’), 0-3 Hazard (65’), 0-4 Zakaria (80’)
Despite a spirited start from Boris Schommers’ Nuremberg side, Gladbach’s switch to a 4-3-3 for the first time since Matchday 27 saw them edge the opening exchanges. With Florian Neuhaus running the show in midfield, the Foals had eight shots on goal before the break, but failed to draw a single save out of Christian Mathenia. Instead, it was the hosts who came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half when Yann Sommer prevented Sebastian Kerk’s free-kick from finding the bottom corner.
The complexion of the encounter changed 10 minutes into the second half when Josip Drmic poked home against his former club to make it two goals in two games since his return from injury. Gladbach soon ended any lingering hopes Nuremberg had of victory and survival with a quick-fire double, courtesy of a Lukas Mühl own goal and Thorgan Hazard’s first goal since the reverse fixture on Matchday 16. Denis Zakaria's strike ten minutes from time put the icing on the cake as the Foals gave their top-four hopes a shot in the arm.
Match stats
- Hazard ended a spell of 1,387 minutes without a goal to move onto 10 for the season, equalling his best single-season tally in the Bundesliga.
- Drmic was handed his first start of the season against his former club - seven of his 31 Bundesliga goals have been scored in Nuremberg.
- Neuhaus was involved in five of Gladbach’s eight first-half shots before being brought off at the break.
- Just one goal has fallen before half-time in Nuremberg’s last five league games.
- Mühl’s own goal was the first of his Bundesliga career.
- This was the first time Gladbach had scored more than twice in a single league game since Matchday 14.
- Nuremberg have been relegated from Germany's top flight for the ninth time in their history.
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Line-ups
Nuremberg: Mathenia – Bauer, Mühl, Margreitter, Leibold – Erras – Misidjan (Petrak 73'), Löwen (Knöll 79'), Behrens (c), Kerk (Tillman 61') – Ishak
Unused subs: Bredlow, Rhein, Illicevic, Kubo
Out: Valentini (thigh), Zrelak (cruciate ligament), Ewerton (groin), Fuchs (groin), Pereira (thigh)
Coach: Boris Schommers
Gladbach: Sommer (c) – Beyer, Ginter, Elvedi, Wendt - Neuhaus (Hofmann 46'), Kramer (Strobl 78'), Zakaria - Traore (Plea 72'), Drmic, Hazard
Unused subs: Sippel, Lang, Jantschke, Cuisance
Out: Doucoure (thigh), Herrmann (thigh), Johnson (calf), Raffael (calf), Stindl (shin)
Coach: Dieter Hecking
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