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Mönchengladbach (AP) - Borussia Mönchengladbach has stumbled over the old rival Inter Milan again and now has to tremble to advance in the Champions League.
Coach Marco Rose's team lost to the 18-time Italian champions 2: 3 (1: 1) on Tuesday and are now facing a final at Real Madrid on December 9th.
Since Los Blancos also failed in the 2-0 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk, all four clubs can still reach the round of 16.
After all, Gladbach is still leader of the hotly contested Group B and has at least third place, which would qualify for participation in the Europa League.
The fourth and fifth Champions League goals by Alassane Plea (45th + 1 and 75th) were too few for the Gladbach team in the empty Borussia Park.
Instead, Inter celebrated their first victory in the group stage through Matteo Darmian (17th) and twice Romelu Lukaku (64th and 73rd).
The Belgian star striker had already scored twice in the 2-2 in the first leg.
Now VfL needs a point at Real to safely advance.
“Revenge for Boninsegna” was the Borussia motto in advance.
49 years after the infamous rifle throwing scandal at Bökelberg, which canceled the legendary 7-1 against Inter, the Gladbachers wanted to settle an old score.
But the respect was great against the second in the table in Serie A. As in the last Bundesliga game against Schalke 04, but when a 4: 1 jumped out anyway, Borussia acted far too passive in the first half hour.
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That should take revenge.
If Ashley Young just missed the goal with a deflected shot (15th), the Italians were allowed to cheer shortly afterwards.
The ball got to Darmian via star strikers Lukaku and Roberto Gagliardini, who overcame Borussia goalkeeper Yann Sommer with a shot from the left-hand position and didn't look good.
Gagliardini (23rd) and Lautaro Martinez (33rd) caused further shock moments from Gladbach.
Tony Jantschke, who played in central defense for the injured Nico Elvedi, had some problems.
Correspondingly, Gladbach's board member Rainer Bonhof, who was on the field in 1971, looked worried in the stands.
Inter was wide awake at this stage.
Something similar might have happened to the Italians the night before the game.
With pyrotechnic material such as fireworks batteries - possibly ignited by Gladbach fans - the guests' night's sleep was severely disturbed around 4 a.m. in front of the team hotel.
It became uncomfortable as the game continued, because Borussia fought their way back and knew how to put pinpricks.
Inter-keeper Samir Handanovic had to parry twice against Stefan Lainer (36th) and Marcus Thuram (37th).
When Plea headed after Valentino Lazaro's cross shortly before the break, he was powerless.
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With Denis Zakaria for Jantschke in central defense, coach Rose made a tactical change.
And this time the hosts started better.
After a cross from Stindl, Thuram even had a great chance to take the lead (52nd).
But Milan also remained dangerous, Martinez hit the post (62nd).
It happened shortly after.
After Thuram lost the ball, Lukaku took the lead again.
And shortly afterwards, the Belgian struck again after a pass from the ex-Dortmund player Achraf Hakimi.
But Gladbach again had an answer through Plea and was lucky that Young didn't hit the empty goal afterwards (77th).
Shortly thereafter, Gladbach cheered the supposed 3: 3 by Plea, but Embolo was offside when the Frenchman shot (83).
Gladbach line-up