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Wolfsburg (AP) - Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach did not get beyond a draw in the trend-setting duel with VfL Wolfsburg.
The team of coach Marco Rose even parted a little happily 0-0 from fourth-placed Lower Saxony on Sunday evening and are now six points behind the targeted Champions League places.
Wolfsburg are still unbeaten at home this season.
VfL have not conceded a single goal in five league games in a row.
With another strong defensive performance, the Wolfsburg-based company kept the guests at distance in the freezing cold, who are seventh in the Bundesliga table.
Gladbach is still waiting for the first victory at the Volkswagen Club since 2003.
After his heavily criticized rotation, Rose, who acted as the future coach of Borussia Dortmund, rebuilt his team, as expected, compared to the 1: 2 derby defeat against 1. FC Köln.
In Nico Elvedi, Ramy Bensebaini, Christoph Kramer, Jonas Hofmann, Valentino Lazaro and Alassane Plea, six new players joined the starting line-up in Gladbach.
Striker Marcus Thuram was canceled at short notice due to knee problems.
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The starting phase, however, belonged to the wolves.
The hosts started energetically at temperatures in the double-digit minus range and put Borussia under pressure.
If goalkeeper Yann Sommer hadn't parried Kevin Mbabu's header brilliantly, Wolfsburg would have taken the lead early.
The Elf from Niederrhein needed a while to find their way into the game and to accept the duels.
A close game developed in which Wolfsburg had better chances.
Yannick Gerhardt moved from the edge of the penalty area (16th), Xaver Schlager failed from a distance on Sommer (29th).
Gladbach didn’t come close to the VfL penalty area, and if it did, the last pass was too imprecise or a Wolfsburg defensive leg in between.
After the break, Borussia played for a short time with increased power.
More than one shot by captain Lars Stindl, which Wolfsburg goalkeeper Koen Casteels saved without any problems, did not jump out for Gladbach.
The error rate, especially in the attack third and in building up the game in promising situations, remained too high.
Rose, who coached and cheered on his team loudly, couldn't change that either.
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In the back, Borussia was lucky after an hour when a header from Wolfsburg's defensive line John Anthony Brooks landed on the post after a corner and hit a hit chance in stoppage time.
The hosts were especially dangerous after set pieces.
VfL striker Wout Weghorst had the Gladbach defense well under control.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210214-99-440741 / 3
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