Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Karlsruhe – News and Probable Lineups

Borussia Monchengladbach will be aiming to continue their positive momentum by defeating Karlsruher SC in the DFB-Pokal’s second round on Tuesday at Borussia Park.

Having achieved a resounding 5-0 victory against Schott Mainz in the first round last August, Gladbach will feel confident in their ability to overcome their 2. Bundesliga rivals.

Match overview

The home side managed to secure a 3-2 win over Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Friday, coming back from an early deficit to establish a 3-1 lead by the 66th minute, although they currently sit last in 18th place with just three points.

Gladbach’s recent win ended a run of six consecutive losses, and head coach Alexander Blessin understands the significance of sustaining this winning streak as they head into a challenging festive schedule.

Since taking over from Eugen Polanski, the manager has presided over three matches, during which his team has conceded six goals while only finding the back of the net five times.

Die Fohlen have also been unsuccessful in all three of their home fixtures this season, losing by an aggregate score of 10-7, with two results being narrow 4-3 defeats.

The hosts have been eliminated in the second round of the DFB-Pokal in four out of their last eight entries into the tournament, and they have fallen to lower-league teams three times in those eight attempts.

Karlsruher are entering this fixture on the back of a distressing 6-1 defeat to Magdeburg in the 2. Bundesliga on Saturday, which has left them second from the bottom in 17th place with only eight points on the board.

The away team has now lost five of their last seven outings, managing only one victory during that stretch, which could put pressure on head coach Maximilian Senft.

In those seven games, KSC has failed to score in three and conceded at least two goals on five occasions.

A win for Karlsruher would not only end a four-match winless streak against Gladbach (W0, D1, L3), but it would also mark their first victory against their opponents since the 2000s.

Senft’s squad triumphed 2-1 over Preussen Munster away in the first round of the DFB-Pokal in late August, but they have since drawn one and lost two out of three matches on the road.

Team News

Gladbach may face several absentees ahead of the midweek match, particularly in their defence, where Jan Leszczynski (meniscus) is currently sidelined. Fellowcentre-backs Ko Itakura (muscle) and Kevin Diks (personal reasons) are also in doubt.

Additionally, the availability of wing-backs Jens Castrop and Joe Scally is uncertain due to respective shoulder and thigh injuries, possibly leading to Daiki Hashioka, Philipp Sander, and Fabio Chiarodia to start in Blessin’s defensive lineup, flanked by Yukhym Konoplya and Lukas Ullrich.

On the attacking front, strikers Tim Kleindienst (muscle) and Isac Lidberg (hamstring), along with right-winger Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn, are unavailable, while Franck Honorat (muscle) and Fritz Fleck (strain) are doubtful to feature.

If they remain out, Shuto Machino will likely lead the attack on Tuesday, supported by Hugo Bolin and Wael Mohya, with assistance from Zento Uno and Florian Neuhaus in midfield, while midfielder Enzo Leopold continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury.

For Karlsruher, they will miss centre-back Heliton, who is nursing an injury, as well as striker Moritz Broschinski, who is dealing with an ankle issue.

In light of this, Shio Fukuda and Noel Eichinger may form a partnership in attack, while Christoph Kobald, Marcel Franke, and Sandro Tremoulet guard goalkeeper Hans Christian Bernat.

Borussia Monchengladbach probable starting XI:

Nicolas; Hashioka, Sander; Chiarodia; Konoplya, Uno, Neuhaus, Ullrich; Bolin, Mohya; machines

Karlsruher SC probable starting XI:

Bernat; Kobald, Franke, Tremoulet; Jung, Wiethaup, Vaananen, Bergh; Wanitzek; Fukuda, Eichinger

Karlsruher may look to capitalize on a potentially vulnerable Gladbach side, yet they have also faced significant challenges themselves this season.

While both sides might struggle, the visitors have not demonstrated sufficient defensive resilience to keep their opponents at bay.