An out-of-form Borussia Monchengladbach will once again go in search of their first league triumph in 2025 when they host relegation-threatened VfL Bochum at the Borussia-Park in their Bundesliga gameweek 19 encounter.
The hosts sit 11th in the standings, but they are without a win in three top-flight outings, whereas bottom-placed Bochum come into the fixture off the back of a 3-3 draw against RB Leipzig.
Match preview
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Borussia Monchengladbach have endured a tough start to 2025, with consecutive losses in three league outings by an aggregate scoreline of 9-2.
In their last outing, the Foals lost 3-1 to Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena – a loss which leaves them 11th in the Bundesliga standings with 24 points across 18 matches.
The loss also meant that the hosts started a calendar year with three defeats on the bounce for the first time since 2014, while another loss this weekend would see them lose four games in a row at any stage of a year for the first time since December 2021.
Although the current situation looks bleak for Gerardo Seoane and his charges, they still have a fighting chance of earning themselves European football next term; only four points separate them sixth-placed Mainz 05, who sit in the final Conference League playoff spot.
The Foals have also been impressive at home, winning five and losing just one of their last seven home league outings, with that solitary defeat since September coming narrowly at the hands of leaders Bayern Munich in their most recent outing in front of their own fans.
Irrespective of their lacklustre showing in their last three league outings, Monchengladbach fans will draw confidence from the four-game winning streak against the visitors – and they will back their team to make it six wins in 10 matches on their turf this season.
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Meanwhile, Bochum staged an unlikely comeback to earn a remarkable 3-3 draw against RB Leipzig in their last league outing; having trailed 3-0 in the first 45 minutes, Dieter Hecking's men fought back to claim a point last weekend.
The rousing recovery continued Bochum's recent resurgence, with eight of their 10 points having come in their last five games after picking up just two points from their opening 13 outings.
Whereas a little more than a month ago they seemed dead and buried at the bottom, now their survival hopes are suddenly back in the realms of possibility, although as things stand they are still neck-deep in relegation trouble.
Firmly rooted to the bottom of the Bundesliga standings with 10 points from 18 matches – and six points from guaranteed safety - Bochum still face an uphill battle to stave off relegation with 16 games left in the current campaign.
The visitors have mostly been undone by a combination of defensive frailties and the paucity of goals; with 40 goals conceded so far and a meagre 17 scored, it is not difficult to see why they have been struggling for much of the season so far.
Their away form has also shown little sign of improving even amidst their general recovery, with just one point to their name from nine matches on the road this term, cementing their place as the worst travellers in the elite league.
While the trip to the Borussia Park may seem daunting, they will be buoyed by their recent form as they seek precious points in a bid to beat the drop.
Team News
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Although Seoane has almost a fully fit squad at his disposal, Franck Honorat, who is suffering from a foot injury, will not be involved on Saturday.
However, Alassane Plea, Kevin Stoger and Robin Hack are expected to form the trio behind Tim Kleindienst, who has found the back of the net 10 times in the league already.
For the visitors, Matus Bero, who is currently suspended, will not feature on Saturday; in his absence, Anthony Losilla is expected to step up to fill the void.
Meanwhile, Mats Pannewig will face a late fitness test to ascertain his availability for this fixture.
Borussia Monchengladbach possible starting lineup:
Nicolas; Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Ullrich; Weigl, Reitz; Plea, Stoger, Hack; Kleindienst
VfL Bochum possible starting lineup:
Drewes; Oermann, Ordets, Bernardo; Passlack, Losilla, Sissoko, Wittek; De Wit, Broschinski, Boadu
We say: Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 VfL Bochum
Considering the home record of Monchengladbach and the dismal away record of Bochum, we are backing the Foals to claim a 2-0 victory, thus extending their winning streak against the visitors to five games.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
