Hertha Berlin vs Borussia Monchengladbach
Hertha and Gladbach are two of only seven teams to stay undefeated in the Bundesliga after three games. Now, they will put that record to the test when they play at Olympiastadion in the German capital.
The two teams have identical records with seven points (two wins and one draw) and the same goal difference. In fact, both clubs have scored five goals each and conceded two as they share the third spot with Wolfsburg.
The Berliners and the Foals will surely look to get ahead of each other in their quest to get the top spots in the league, and the prospect of going number one—even just for a brief period—should motivate the two dreamers to go all-out in what is already brewing to be an exciting encounter.
Talking Points
Real deal or not?
If it isn’t obvious by now, both teams mean business in the league. While they were mid-table last year, they are proving right now that they are ready to contend for European football.
Sure, it’s still too early to say that their bright start is for real, but it’s difficult to ignore the spirited performances they displayed three games into the 2018/19 season.
Gladbach grabbed the headlines of Bundesliga 2018 news before it even started, beating fifth-tier side BSC Hastedt by 11 goals in the first round of DFB Pokal. ELEVEN GOALS—behind hat-tricks from Thorgan Hazard, Raffael and Alassane Plea.
Dieter Hecking’s men followed that display with a 2-0 drubbing of Bayer Leverkusen in the league opener before drawing 1-1 with Augsburg in Matchday 2. After that, the Foals returned from the international break with a bang and piled more misery on the struggling Schalke 04 to keep their record intact.
Hertha, for their part, opened the season on a high note with back-to-back wins over new boys Nuremberg and Schalke. They were one of only three teams to win their first two games of the season, though their streak was halted when they drew with Wolfsburg the last time out.
The Berliners, however, proved in the game against the Wolves what they are made of. They led twice in the match and almost pulled off a victory if not for a spectacular goal from the home team’s Admir Mehmedi on injury time.
It remains to be seen how long the two clubs can maintain their hot start, but all signs point they are not yet ready to slow down.
Balanced offence, strong defence
Much of the success of the two teams was founded on rock-solid defence. After finishing as two of the worst defensive teams in the league in the 2017/18 campaign, Hertha and Gladbach have shown much improvement on the defensive end without sacrificing their mid-tier offence.
As mentioned, Hertha and Gladbach have scored five goals each, good enough to allow them to win games. However, it is their defence that makes the difference. Their two goals conceded is the best in the league at this point, tied with Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz.
Sure enough, that will be tested once again when they meet.
Hertha seem to be the better team in that department with their two clean sheets, but Gladbach have not conceded more than one goal in the competition.
Rise of Duda
Both sides have quality attackers, but all eyes will be on 23-year-old midfielder Ondrej Duda who has been sensational so far for Hertha Berlin.
The Slovakia international scored just once last year, but he already surpassed that mark as he went on target for the Berliners in their last two outings. He bagged a double to pace the team to victory over the Royal Blues then added one more in their draw with Wolfsburg.
He is now the club’s leading scorer this year, and Gladbach will surely be cautious of the threat he brings. Duda undoubtedly has the talent, and the confidence he has gained makes him an even more formidable opponent.
Hertha are expected to rely on the young Dudinho to lead their attack once again, and it’s up to Gladbach on how they will limit him and stop his scoring streak.
History
Their home-and-away fixtures last season produced plenty of drama and goals, though it was Hecking’s men who won both matches.
Their last meeting, at the Borussia Park, saw Gladbach stage a stunning second-half comeback to cut a one-goal deficit and come out with a win. Meanwhile, in their game at the Olympiastadion, the Foals thrashed the home team with three first-half goals en route to a 2-4 victory.
In their last five league matches, Gladbach have won four times while Hertha took only one victory—a 3-0 home win in 2016.
Betting Tip
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Hertha Berlin vs Borussia Monchengladbach | Monchengladbach 1X2 @ 2.76 |
| September 23, 21:30 (GMT+8) |
The Bundesliga 2018 odds at SBOBET slightly favour Hertha Berlin, thanks in large part to their recent showings. Nonetheless, I’m not writing off Gladbach—not with their history and squad depth.
Considering their much-improved backlines, I think this match will be a lot closer than their previous battle at the capital. However, I believe Hecking’s men know the formula against Berlin, and that should show when they play.
Besides a Gladbach victory, I predict a low-scoring affair here. With that said, there is some value in Total Goal 2-3 that pays at 1.91.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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