Bundesliga: Mainz vs Borussia Mönchengladbach! Can the relentlessly running Mainz break the away curse against Mönchengladbach?

Today's first Bundesliga talk: Mainz vs Borussia Mönchengladbach!

About Mönchengladbach, I have a major doubt — how did they nearly get caught up by Bochum, a promoted team missing their key striker?

What version of Bochum did Mönchengladbach face a few days ago?

Not only were several key players, including star scorer and assist leader Zoller, absent...

They had also just played a grueling 120-minute German Cup match, leaving them exhausted.

Yet Mönchengladbach surprisingly couldn't outrun their opponent, collapsing physically in the second half and almost letting Bochum equalize.

Bochum hit the post with headers, missed one-on-ones, and wasted many chances. If the sharp-shooting Zoller had played, those 3 points almost certainly would have slipped away from Mönchengladbach. If they perform like this again today... trouble might be coming.

Although Mainz is still seen by most fans as a weak team barely surviving relegation each year.

This season, they have truly transformed, rising as high as fifth in the Bundesliga—is it really just luck?

For why Mainz has changed so dramatically, I did an in-depth analysis in the video of their match against Augsburg on October 22nd, so I won't elaborate today.

Let's focus on Mainz's tactical foundation, which is also their most obvious strength: their running capacity.

Mainz's ability to frequently beat stronger teams owes a lot to their stamina and movement.

This tireless team often manages to create numerical superiority locally, turning 11 vs 11 into 12 vs 11 situations.

Apart from Hofmann, Mönchengladbach’s other players have average fitness, as shown by the stats—they scored 12 goals in the first half of matches this season but only 6 in the second half, really hitting hard early but fading later.

If you can't outrun a Bochum side that just played extra time, how do you expect to compete for the endurance crown?

Of course, running ability isn't everything.

But if we think carefully, do the numbers really favor Mönchengladbach?

Mönchengladbach has been a top Bundesliga team for the past decade, and compared to Mainz, their image is clearly superior.

Yet the director puts Mainz and Mönchengladbach on the same starting line—this takes courage. Given Mönchengladbach recently thrashed Bayern 5-0, how many fans would believe in this positioning?

But let's not overlook Mönchengladbach's away form: in 5 away games, they only beat a Wolfsburg team reduced to 10 men after a red card. They lost all the other 4 matches, whether against Augsburg or the Berlin clubs.

Last season, Mönchengladbach’s away performance was equally poor—their away satisfaction rate was 23.5%, the worst in the Bundesliga.

Once on the road, Mönchengladbach’s usually strong set-piece ability fails to show, and their defense becomes shaky, as if they suddenly forget how to position themselves.

If something happens repeatedly 30 or 40 times, there must be an underlying reason.

Although Mainz is considered a relegation candidate, I believe their motivation to fight for points at home should not be underestimated. I am more hopeful that Mainz can at least secure a point at home.

Alright, for today's other matches, I will still send you written analysis this afternoon. If anything is unclear, feel free to ask me. Let's watch and understand the games together every day!

If you like it, please tap to follow and give a thumbs up!