Borussia Mönchengladbach vs SC Paderborn – News and Probable Lineups

Desperately seeking a way to avoid relegation in the Bundesliga, Borussia Monchengladbach, who currently sit at the bottom of the table, are set to host SC Paderborn, a team recently promoted, at Borussia-Park on Saturday.

Die Fohlen are aiming to build on their inaugural league victory, while their opponents will be looking to rebound after their midweek elimination from the cup.

Match overview

Gladbach has found itself stuck at the bottom of the standings for much of this season, but there are signs they may have made a breakthrough under head coach Alexander Blessin.

After taking over from Eugen Polanski in late September, the former St Pauli head coach has seen some positive developments despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to FC Koln in his initial match in charge, a result he repeated against Hoffenheim the following week.

However, fans were rewarded for their patience with a thrilling 3-2 win against Stuttgart on October 23, a match where Die Fohlen displayed resilience by overturning a deficit thanks to goals from Joe Scally, Shuto Machino, and the 17-year-old Wael Mohya.

Gladbach will be eager to carry the momentum from that first win into this weekend, especially considering their recent 2-0 triumph in the DFB-Pokal against Karlsruher on Tuesday, which has infused cautious optimism around the club that a turnaround might be underway.

Nevertheless, Blessin’s squad remains last in the league – stuck on 18th place with only three points – and even with a victory, it is unlikely to elevate them from the relegation zone, especially given that they hold the worst defensive record in the division, which has contributed to a goal difference of -11.

On the other hand, Ralf Kettemann’s Paderborn secured promotion from the 2. Bundesliga through the playoff, and while they initially faced difficulties adjusting, they appear to have settled in.

The visitors on Saturday failed to register a win in their opening three top-flight fixtures, drawing 0-0 against Mainz 05 in their first outing before suffering consecutive losses to Borussia Dortmund and high-flying Freiburg.

However, a 3-1 victory over Hoffenheim on September 20 seemed to rejuvenate Kettemann’s side, and with another win against Hamburger SV, where they secured a 1-0 result last weekend, the confidence within the squad has notably increased as they now believe they can compete at this level.

Paderborn currently resides in 13th position with eight points, sitting two points clear of the relegation zone and positioned between their fellow promoted teams – two points ahead of Schalke 04 in 16th and two behind Elversberg in eighth.

Having not yet won an away league match this season, the NRW club has shown resilience by only losing once on their travels across all competitions.

Kettemann undoubtedly took heart from the fight displayed by his team during their 1-0 defeat in the DFB-Pokal against Stuttgart on Wednesday, considering they played most of the match with 10 players yet held out until the final whistle.

Team News

Gladbach’s attacking options will be somewhat limited as they will be without striker Tim Kleindienst (thigh), winger Franck Honorat (muscle), and attacking midfielder Hugo Bolin (muscle).

In their absence, Robin Hack and Wael Mohya may be tasked with supporting Shuto Machino up front, backed by Florian Neuhaus and Zento Uno in midfield, while Fritz Fleck (muscle) and Enzo Leopold (anterior cruciate ligament) are also unavailable.

Further adjustments see Kevin Diks missing for personal reasons, while centre-back Jan Leszczynski is recuperating from a knee injury, so it’s likely that Philipp Sander, Fabio Chiarodia, and Daiki Hashioka will form the three-man defence under Blessin’s guidance.

For Paderborn, several midfielders will miss out this weekend, including Oliver Batista Meier (ankle), Timur Gayret (knee), and Sebastian Klaas (hamstring), with Gabriel Vidovic (foot) also a doubt.

If Vidovic cannot start, Tom Baack might come into the starting XI alongside Laurin Ulrich and Santiago Castaneda, who will play behind Marvin Pieringer and Stefano Marino in attack, with Sven Michel also potentially unavailable.

Defensively, centre-backs Nyamekye Awortwie-Grant and Marcel Hoffmeier are out due to respective knee and thigh injuries, but Tjark Scheller, Mattes Hansen, and Jano ter Horst should be ready to step in.

Borussia Monchengladbach probable starting XI:

Nicholas; Sander, Chiarodia, Hashioka; Scally, Neuhaus, Uno, Ullrich; Hack, Mohya; Machine

SC Paderborn probable starting XI:

zero; Ter Horst, Scheller, Hansen; Curda, Ulrich, Castaneda, Baack, Obermair; Tigges, Marino

Gladbach has gained some momentum under Blessin and should be eager to continue this form this weekend following consecutive wins in both league and cup.

That said, Paderborn is likely to find the back of the net against the Bundesliga’s most porous defence.