Overseas Teams

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Outstanding game last night in the cup saw Gladbach progress through to the quarters after a well deserved 3-1 win against Schalke in front of a full house.
Huntelaar being sent off for two yellows after 46 minutes didn't help the Schalke cause but goals from Arango and Reus (2) saw the Fohlens through to the next round against Hertha in Berlin.

Nice winter break now to re-charge and fix any injuries/nigglies prior to the second half of the season kicking off against Bayern at Borussia Park on Friday 20th Jan.
Unusually this makes Borussia Park hosts to two sequential matches (matchdays 17 and 18) 33 days apart without any other matches in the Bundesliga being played in between. 

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Top goalscorer Marco Reus has agreed to join Dortmund at the end of the season for 17.5m Euro's (£15m).  He had received confirmed offers from Bayern, Real and ARSENAL but chose his home town club over staying at Borussia Park, so that he could play Champions League football but also remaining in Germany near his family and fiancee. 
Shame but a good player who is only 22 and on the edge of the German National starting line up, not sure how he would have coped in the Premiers***e so probably the best option for him.

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First game of the second half of the season Borussia against the mighty Bayern at a sold out Borussia Park.
The Live ESPN camera's saw The Fohelns stuff the Pig Farmers 3-1 to close the gap at the top to one point and move into second place.
Goals from Marco Reus following another cock-up by 'wonder' keeper Manuel Neuer were followed by two well worked goals from Patrick Herrmann before 'PigClimber' Schweinsteiger got a consolation for them.
Winter break was very beneficial with all squad players returned fit with only central defender Dante left out through suspension, Bayern similarly with Ribery banned.
Two away matches against Stuttgart and Wolfsburg next which will test their ability to stay in the Champions League places.
Were you watching SingCob?

[Baldy]

Great result. Did you go t'match Deepcut?

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Unfortunately ESPN only for me but a gap in my own fixture list could allow me to attend at least one, if not more, before the end of the season. 

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Won again today, away in Stuttgart 3-0, goals from Hanke, Reus and Di Camargo in front of a sell out 53,600.
Remain in fourth in the final Champions League slot but now 8 points ahead of fifth/sixth place Werder and Leverkusen but only one point off Bayern at the top.

Interesting to note that Borussia have conceded the least number of goals (12) in 19 games of all Bundesliga clubs!

Wolfsburg away next week. 

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0-0 away at Wolfsburg, helped by the fact that all other teams in the top 6 apart from Dortmund drew, Gladbach remain in the final Champions League slot of 4th, still eight points ahead of 5th placed Werder.
At home to Schalke 04 on Saturday evening where a win could put The Fohlens into 3rd or even 2nd if Bayern are surprised by Kaiserslautern.

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Having been an armchair observer over the last few months I would say that Kaiserslautern will do you a favour against Bayern.

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Quarter finals of the DFB Cup tonight, Borussia away in Berlin, playing Hertha, where it will be a relatively warm -6C at kick-off.

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Borussia beat Hertha 2-0 in Berlin after extra time so join Dortmund, Bayern and Sp Vgg Greuther Fürth from the 2nd Bundesliga in the semi's. 

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3-0 win over Schalke at Borussia Park puts The Fohlens into 3rd position in the league but more importantly with Leverkusen being beaten by Dortmund and Werder being held at home by Hoffenheim the gap to fifth is now 10 points.  With 13 games to go, each week the Champions League looks more like a possibility.
Away to 3rd bottom Kaiserslautern next week but they are the sort of teams that we drop points to...

Draw for the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal tonight at least gave Borussia a home draw but against Bayern, but on current form? The other puts 2nd Liga Sp Vgg Greuther Fürth at home to Dortmund.
 

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The stumbling block of Kaiserslautern was overcome, Gladbach winning 2-1 in their 46,000 sell out stadium.  Two goals in the first fourteen minutes from Patrick Herrmann and Juan Arango sealed this as a contest.  Only down note was Herrmann being carried off with a broken collar bone in the second half.  Dortmund won 1-0 away in Berlin but Bayern came unstuck at bottom placed Freiburg only drawing 0-0 whilst fourth placed Schalke beat Wolfsburg 4-0 at home.
This puts The Fohlens second, a clear one point above Bayern and three below Dortmund but more importantly ten points clear of fifth placed Werder with only 12 games to go.  Champions League is a distinct possibility for next season.  

13 goals conceded in 22 games is the best in the Bundesliga and shows how the manager, the Swiss Lucien Favre, who took over after the 22nd game last season with the club bottom having just 16 pts, now have 46 pts after 22 this season and are now in a Champions League place.  An unbelieveable turnaround, no wonder Beckenbauer is stating in the German press that he will be the next Bayern manager!  

Hamburg at home live on ESPN Friday night is next, a win would put pressure onto the other contenders who all have to wait until Sunday, Bayern v Schalke and Dortmund at home to Hannover.  Every home match and Borussia away ticket allocation is sold for the rest of the season so there may be a couple of favours being called if I get the chance to get across between now and then.  

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A 1-1 home draw on Friday night against Hamburg in a below standard display was almost a steal.  Hamburg, who are unbeaten away since October 2011, were undone by an offside goal from Mike Hanke but that redresses the one against Dortmund that would have earned three points then.  Hamburgs equaliser was the least they deserved.  With Bayern beating Schalke 2-0 this afternoon it puts Gladbach down to third but still 10 points clear of fifth with only 11 games to go.

Nurnburg away next weekend could be difficult for any points but we shall see.

[Poggy]

It's looking fairly confortable for Dortmund at the moment. I think they will win it again the weekend I'm over there for the BMG game. 

Ex-Cobblers loan keeper Zieler made some good saves for Hannover yesterday but BvB were too strong for them in the end.

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It's looking fairly confortable for Dortmund at the moment. I think they will win it again the weekend I'm over there for the BMG game. 

Weekend of 20-22 Apr, not confirmed the date yet.  Have you already got tickets or are you going to be standing outside leaning against one of the many bars? 

[Poggy]

Hoping that it's on the Friday / Saturday or else I'll be watching from the plane home on the Sunday. There's not too much else on around that weekend so might have to head to Dusseldorf to get my Bundesliga fix. Any idea on when they will announce the fixtures, it must be soon?

As for tickets, BvB vs Stuttgart (GW 28) went on sale this morning and sold out very quickly so I'm not expecting to get tickets beforehand. I will probably chance it on the day again and take some euro's with me in cash.

[Poggy]

BvB vs BMG game is the evening kick off on the Saturday so looks like I'll get to watch the game.

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Missed an opportunity last weekend with Bayern, Schalke and Bremen beaten by Leverkusen, Freibug and Hertha, by losing 1-0 at Nurnberg with a late goal after dominating possession and most of the match without producing many chances.

Staying in third but fifth placed Leverkusen now only 7 points behind with ten to play with Dortmund extending their lead at the top.  Playing for second now I believe.

Matchday 25 at home to bottom but one club Freiburg 'should' be three points but....

As said previously all tickets for all remaining matches sold out so should be a good run in....

Poggy, the BVB v BMG should be on ESPN here on the Saturday night, hope you are fortunate to get a touts tickets on the day, the title will probably be all over by then but BMG hopefully will be still challenging for second or at least still in the Champions League slots.

[Poggy]

Bayern's win last night sets up a nice cup final with Dortmund in Berlin. The double is still on for BvB

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Bayern's win last night sets up a nice cup final with Dortmund in Berlin. The double is still on for BvB

Cheers, thanks for that.  Just getting over the penalty shoot out elimination from last night! 

Although Bayern still believe that they are in with a good shout for the treble!