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Triple goal scorer Alassane Pléa can be celebrated
Photo:
SERGEY DOLZHENKO / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
After two draws at the beginning, Borussia Mönchengladbach has won a game in the Champions League for the first time this season.
At Schachtar Donetsk, the Gladbachers showed an outstanding performance at times and won 6-0 (4-0).
Alassane Pléa with three goals (8th minute, 26th, 78th), Valeriy Bondar with an own goal (17th), Ramy Bensebaini (44th) and Lars Stindl (65th) scored the goals for the team of coach Marco Rose.
In Group B with Real Madrid and Inter Milan, the Ukrainians were considered outsiders, but went into the matchday as leaders after a win against Real and a draw against Inter.
This constellation did not change anything in Gladbach's self-image: The Bundesliga fifth started the game taking place in Kiev, keeping Schachtar away from his own goal with good pressing and showed patience and creativity in own ball possession.
For the lead, Pléa met after a low cross from the advancing right-back Stefan Lainer: From ten meters away from the goal, the Frenchman let the ball slide into the far corner with the right inside (8th).
With a bit of luck, Gladbach increased a little later: central defender Bondar falsified Christoph Kramer's shot from a good 20 meters away.
Schachtar's 19-year-old goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin jumped into the left corner while the ball hit the center (17th).
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In the end, Christoph Kramer was not counted for the goal, but he was still able to celebrate
Photo: SERGEY DOLZHENKO / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
The 3-0 was again achieved by Pléa, who scored his second goal of the day after a long ball relay with a long-range shot from 25 meters into the top left corner (26th).
Only then did the hosts manage their first good attack, but Gladbach's goalkeeper Yann Sommer defused Tetê's shot with a defensive foot (29th).
The Brazilian was cleared in the penalty area on the right, his finish from six meters should be Schachtar's last chance until the break.
Before the break, Bensebaini increased to 4-0, after a corner from Jonas Hofmann, Bensebaini pushed the ball over the line with his left on the second attempt.
Pléa also excels in the second half
In the second half, Stindl, who had already prepared the goal by Kramer and the second goal by Pléa, scored the fifth goal: Hofmann intercepted Trubin's goal kick that was too short, and the ball passed through Plea to the Gladbach captain, who deliberately completed in the penalty area (65.).
At this point Donetsk was only offering half-hearted resistance.
The final point was again Pléa, who after a pass from Marcus Thuram slid free in front of Trubin and did his hat trick perfectly (78th).
For Gladbach it is the second outstanding result within a few days: Borussia won the Bundesliga for the first time against RB Leipzig at the weekend.
The Gladbachers had also been able to convince in the previous Champions League games, but after a lead against Inter Milan and Real Madrid the equalizer fell in the final minutes.
Thanks to the success against Donetsk, Gladbach's chances of wintering in the premier class are now good, with the club taking five points from three games.
On November 25th (6:55 p.m.) Borussia Schachtar welcomes the second leg in Gladbach.
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