Gladbach against Bayern: Who'll find 'the right attitude'?

Matchday 15 begins with the Bundesliga classic between FC Bayern and Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday night (live text and Webradio commentary from 20:30 CET). “We know what these games have been about in the past,” said Hansi Flick in the pre-match press conference. fcbayern.com has the lowdown on the clash with the Foals.

The situation for FC Bayern

Bayern have fallen behind in each of their last eight league games, but have shown character to claim at least a point every time. “We don’t like going behind, we need to do better there,” stressed Flick in Thursday’s media round, calling for his team “to go into the game with a different attitude and dynamic”. That’s because a win over Gladbach would be doubly important. On the one hand it would certainly maintain their lead at the top of the table, and on the other, they will move further clear of at least one of pursuers RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund, who play each other on Saturday.

Find out more about the meeting between Bayern’s title rivals on Matchday 15:

The opponents: Borussia Mönchengladbach

It’s been an up-and-down season thus far for Gladbach, who have alternated between wins, defeats and draws. Marco Rose’s side did begin the new year with a 1-0 win at Arminia Bielefeld, though, and Flick has great respect for the seventh-placed Foals. “Gladbach have a lot of individual quality and pace,” praised the treble-winning coach. “We need to keep the contest open for as long as possible and look for our chances,” said Rose. “We want to get something from it, which would be very important in our situation.”

The team news for Mönchengladbach vs. FC Bayern

Valentino Lazaro (groin) is the only absentee for Borussia, while Serge Gnabry (knock) is still a doubt for Bayern. Kingsley Coman will be back in the squad, Flick confirmed. Tanguy Nianzou continues to train individually following his muscle bundle tear.

What the coaches say

Hansi Flick: “Gladbach attack bravely and link up well in the final third. I very much approve of the way they play. I expect my team to work as a unit with and without the ball. We need intensity and energy, and to go into the match with attitude and belief.”

Marco Rose (Borussia Mönchengladbach): “Bayern are league leaders and in good form, even if they’ve been conceding a few goals lately. It’s well-known that they defend high, which is how they underpin their dominance in possession, but that also leaves spaces that the opponents can get into. We need to be rigorous and good in how we use them. We need to find the right attitude against this team and have the belief that we can get something. On a very good day we can hurt and beat Bayern.”

You can read more about the match at Borussia in our facts and stats: