The derby between Borussia Mönchengladbach and 1 FC Köln will be played without an audience. It is the first “ghost game” in the history of the Bundesliga.
The corona virus brings the Bundesliga the first ghost game in history.
The Rhenish derby between Borussia Mönchengladbach and 1 FC Köln on Wednesday will be played without an audience. (Bundesliga: Borussia Mönchengladbach – 1. FC Köln, Wednesday 18:30 h)
The catch-up game of the 21st matchday was originally scheduled for 9 February, but was postponed due to the storm “Sabine”.
Gladbach under pressure after BVB bankruptcy
After the 2-1 defeat against Borussia Dortmund, the Gladbach-based team is now only in fifth place, with 46 points behind Bayer Leverkusen, who moved up to fourth place after their 4-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
With a win, Borussia could again stalk the leading trio and push Bayer back from a Champions League place. “We’ve done really well so far this season. We want to keep up with that,” said Gladbach’s coach Marco Rose before the derby.
Denis Zakaria, who clashed in the game against BVB in the keeper Yann Sommer, is still open to the game. The Swiss international had suffered a wound on his thigh and knee.
Cologne comes with a broad chest
On the other hand, 1 FC Köln under coach Markus Gisdol is still flying high. In the 2:1 victory in the duel at SC Paderborn, the Domstadters celebrated their first victory on a Friday after seven defeats in a row.
With their third win in a row, the Rhinelanders extended their record under Gisdol to 22 points in twelve games and are currently only four points behind the European League places.
The Gladbachers won the first leg in Cologne 1-0 with a goal from Alassane Plea.