Shock at Gladbach: Neuhaus is out of the cup against St. Pauli!

Shock at Gladbach: Neuhaus is out of the cup against St. Pauli!

The tension is rising because Borussia Mönchengladbach is scheduled to play the DFB Cup round of 16 against FC St. Pauli on Tuesday. But the signs are anything but ideal. Coach Eugen Polanski has to do without key players in his team because Florian Neuhaus is out with muscular problems. Jens Castrop is also unlikely to be able to take part in the game due to illness, as Polanski announced before the eagerly anticipated duel. The game starts at 6 p.m.

Polanski, who celebrated his first league win with an impressive 4-0 win against St. Pauli at the beginning of November, made it clear that this Bundesliga result should not serve as motivation for the cup encounter. “This helps us in no time,” he emphasized. Nevertheless, he sees St. Pauli as a “good team” that cannot rest on past successes.

Restructuring of the starting eleven and economic prospects

To respond to the departures, Polanski will be forced to reshuffle his starting XI. Two players who achieved a 0-0 draw against RB Leipzig are in jeopardy. Although he doesn't see an absolute need for changes, it might be necessary to change the team accordingly. “We have a broad squad and some players can play flexibly in several positions,” the coach explained optimistically.

Another incentive for Borussia is the financial aspect of the cup competition. Borussia manager Rouven Schröder pointed out that reaching the quarter-finals would be rewarded with a bonus of around 1.7 million euros. “The economic interest is important,” said Schröder, “but the sporting success must be in the foreground.” The DFB Cup in particular, the second most important club competition in German football after the Bundesliga, has far-reaching consequences for the clubs. The winner of the competition not only qualifies for the DFL Supercup, but also for the UEFA Europa League, provided they have not already qualified for the Champions League.

A successful competition with history

The DFB Cup, which was founded in 1935, brings new stories and surprises every year. 64 teams start in this top-class knockout competition, which is very popular among club competitions in Germany. It is all the more important for Gladbach to maintain the chance of a successful cup season.

Polanski describes the upcoming duel as “a really dangerous game”. Despite all adversities, he wants to concentrate on his team's strengths in order to achieve the goal of advancing to the quarter-finals. The fans of Borussia Mönchengladbach are hoping for an exciting game and that their team can finally break the negative spiral.