Last-minute strike by DFB newcomer
Borussia Mönchengladbach's dismal run persists as they fail to pick up any points in their match against Augsburg, despite Kleindienst's national team inclusion contributing a goal. Conversely, Augsburg can cheer after securing a significant victory, helping them wriggle free from the danger zone in the Bundesliga.
Augsburg emerged victorious in their Bundesliga encounter, crushing Borussia Mönchengladbach 2:1 (1:0). Jess Thorup's squad claimed their first win of the season on the sixth matchday after struggling with only four points from their initial five games.
Keven Schlotterbeck (39.) and substitute Alexis Claude-Maurice (65.) notched goals for Augsburg, while Kleindienst (72.) could only reduce the deficit for Gladbach despite his upcoming national team call-up. The victory propelled Augsburg beyond Gladbach in the table, causing Gladbach to eye the bottom rung after four consecutive defeats in their first six games.
Both teams were forced to accommodate injuries. Augsburg entered Steve Mounie instead of injured Ruben Vargas, while Gladbach coach Gerardo Seoane introduced Tomas Cvancara in place of Nathan Ngoumou. Apart from these shifts, the teams retained their majority lineups.
Augsburg, however, broke away from a recurring pattern. Unlike the opening 15 minutes of their previous five matches, Augsburg went unscathed in the initial quarter-hour and steadily grew more audacious in their assaults.
Few threatening chances early on
Little more than harmless attempts from Dimitrios Giannoulis (18.) and Phillip Tietz (19.) kept the Gladbach fans waiting for over half an hour before witnessing a dangerous shot. The eagerly-anticipated strike came from Kleindienst (31.), although he was unable to find the target due to a substantial margin. Moments later, he learned a harsh lesson from Schlotterbeck, whose bold attempt at a rebound incredibly soared into the top corner.
The uneventful first half seemed to have elicited a new mandate from both teams: Cvancara (47.) and Kleindienst (63.) nearly capitalized on opportunities for Gladbach, while Giannoulis (54.) came close for Augsburg. Claude-Maurice clinched the goal shortly after joining the fray, and Kleindienst closed the gap with a well-aimed header from a corner.
After securing a 2:1 victory against Borussia Mönchengladbach, FC Augsburg climbed the Bundesliga table, moving ahead of their rivals. Despite Kleindienst's national team inclusion contributing a goal for Gladbach, it was not enough to prevent their fourth consecutive defeat in six games, leaving them in danger of appearing at the bottom rung.
