Freiburg (dpa) – Both coaches were impressed by the game itself, but only one by the result. “We are very dissatisfied with the result,” said Christian Streich after SC Freiburg’s spectacular 3:3 (0:2) against Borussia Mönchengladbach. That sounds strange given the gap in the break, said the Baden coach. The late equalization of the guests in added time hurt Freiburg a lot. “Extremely disappointed” are his players, said Streich. You would have to make sure that you classify the point correctly.
In the fight for the Champions League qualification, it was more likely that SC, who was still fifth, lost two points. Borussia, who haven’t won a Bundesliga game in Freiburg for 20 years, “happily took the point with them,” according to coach Adi Hütter. He had seen an “exciting” and “very good” game. In the end, the draw was flattering for the eleventh in the table, who hardly got any relief in the second 45 minutes.
Vincenzo Grifo from the penalty spot (49th minute), Christian Günter (61st) and Philipp Lienhart (80th) scored in front of 34,700 spectators on Saturday for Freiburg, who have not been defeated in four competitive games. The guests led 2-0 at the break with goals from Rami Bensebaini (3’/penalty) and Breel Embolo (13′) and made it 3-3 late on thanks to substitute Lars Stindl (90′ + 3′). It remains to be seen whether it will help them to calm the heated mood in the area.
0: 6 in the first leg in December, 1: 3 in the derby against 1. FC Köln a week ago: Gladbach certainly had something to make up for in Breisgau. “No fight, no will, no character – you are a disgrace to the city and the club!” read a banner attached to the guest block. You have to understand the disappointment of the fans, said Hütter. “The season is just not satisfactory.”
At least until the break, it seemed as if the mood among the fans who had traveled with them would brighten again. Less than 30 seconds were played when Freiburg’s Nicolas Höfler slipped the ball in the penalty area and got his hands on it. According to the video images, referee Benjamin Brand decided on a penalty kick – Bensebaini confidently converted it into the bottom right corner. Even Gladbach’s coach Hütter found this penalty whistle “questionable” – just like the one in the second half against his own team.
Ten minutes after the 1-0, Embolo entered the penalty area from the right and hit the near corner. The SC was the better team. What he lacked in the first round, however, was precision in the last third.
It was completely different in the second half. After referee Brand recognized a kick from Gladbach’s Stefan Lainer against Höfler on screen, Grifo scored from the point to make it 1-2. Freiburg had to cope with the replacement of Noah Weißhaupt, who had just arrived and fell on his shoulder in a duel. But the SC stayed on the trigger – and turned the game around with a placed low shot from Günter and a header from Lienhart after a corner.
Streich was enthusiastic about the morale of his troops. “If I had been a spectator now and this team stayed together like this, I think I would have bought a season ticket for the next two years,” he said of her courageous performance just four days after the exhausting first DFB Cup final clubs Everything looked like the next Freiburg festival – until Gladbach’s Stindl surprisingly hit back with a head.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220422-99-07140/5
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