Thorgan Hazard scored twice as Borussia Moenchengladbach routed Hertha BSC 5-0 in the Bundesliga on Sunday to boost their chances of UEFA Champions League soccer next season.
Hazard opened the scoring in the 14th minute after a mistake by Hertha goalkeeper Rune Jarstein, who had plenty of time and space, but sent his kick straight to Mahmoud Dahoud, who quickly played Hazard through.
Moenchengladbach remained the more dangerous side, with Hertha hardly threatening in the first half.
Photo: EPA
Andre Hahn scored on the hour mark, firing into the top-left corner to mark his first start since Oct. 25 last year, when a brutal challenge from Schalke 04’s Johannes Geis left him with a fractured shin bone and meniscus tear.
Moenchengladbach substitute Patrick Herrmann sealed it in the 76th minute, converting the rebound after Jarstein saved from Hazard, who scored again four minutes later with a deflected shot.
Ibrahima Traore completed the rout, scoring from a difficult angle in the 85th minute.
“It is the right result,” Hertha coach Pal Dardai said of his side’s heaviest defeat of the season. “It is good now and then to get such a trashing. It brings the guys down a bit. We do not need to flower it up at all. Moenchengladbach were faster, better. It is a Champions League team.”
Moenchengladbach moved three points behind Hertha into fourth place, ahead of Bayer 04 Leverkusen on goal-difference, with six games remaining.
Hertha’s defeat ensured Borussia Dortmund are assured of at least second place. Dortmund trail Bayern Munich by five points.
Kevin Volland scored in stoppage-time to salvage a 1-1 draw for relegation-troubled TSG 1899 Hoffenheim against Cologne.
Germany defender Jonas Hector crossed for Simon Zoller to put Cologne ahead in the 69th minute, but Volland stretched to reach a rebound and score from a difficult angle after Timo Horn parried Andrej Kramaric’s initial effort in the 91st minute.
Hoffenheim moved one point above the relegation zone, while Augsburg dropped into the relegation playoff place, ahead of Eintracht Frankfurt on goal-difference.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
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