Champions League - Group B
B MgladbachBorussia Mönchengladbach2Real MadridReal Madrid2

Borussia Monchengladbach 2-2 Real Madrid: Real score two late goals to snatch draw

By Michael EmonsBBC Sport
Karim Benzema
Real Madrid have scored four times and conceded five in their opening two Champions League matches of 2020-21

Real Madrid scored two late goals to snatch a dramatic Champions League point against Borussia Monchengladbach.

Thirteen-time European champions Real were 2-0 down in the 87th minute before goals from Karim Benzema and Casemiro saw them earn a thrilling draw.

Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuram scored with a fine finish from Alassane Plea's pass and added a second when Thibaut Courtois could only parry Plea's shot.

Benzema's overhead kick gave Real hope before Casemiro's 93rd-minute leveller.

Monchengladbach, playing in the group stages of the Champions League for only their third campaign, were heading top of Group B until Real's late double.

The hosts had chances to kill the game off when they lead 2-0 as Plea could have added a third when he broke clear of the visiting defence but was denied a one-on-one chance with Courtois.

Lars Stindl also shot narrowly wide for Monchengladbach, who have drawn both of their group matches 2-2 after a similar scoreline away at Inter Milan last week.

Real have one point from their two games after a shock 3-2 opening defeat by Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, who top the group.

"For me, this draw is not a relief, it's a deserved result," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane.

"We had an opponent who had us in trouble on two or three occasions, but we didn't panic and came back with character.

"If we continue to play like that, we'll do great things and we'll win matches, that's for sure."

Marcus Thuram
Borussia Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuram is the son of former France international Lilian, who played in the same 1998 World Cup-winning side as Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane

Real avoid unwanted club record

Spanish champions Real were only seconds away from setting an unwanted club record as they were on the verge of losing four consecutive European matches for the first time in their history - including both legs of last season's last-16 defeat by Manchester City and the game against Shakhtar.

Since that loss, Real beat Barcelona 3-1 at the Nou Camp in El Clasico on Saturday and would have been confident of defeating a Monchengladbach side sixth in the German Bundesliga.

Zidane's side made a bright start as Benzema shot wide, Sergio Ramos glanced a header off target and Toni Kroos had an effort saved by Yann Sommer.

But those missed chances proved costly as the hosts went ahead in the 33rd minute as Plea's fine pass, which went through the legs of Raphael Varane and cut out Lucas Vazquez, was met by an excellent first-time finish from Thuram for the first of his two goals.

Ferland Mendy hit the crossbar for Real within seconds of the restart, before Thuram, the son of ex-France international Lilian, added his second after Courtois could only parry the ball into his path.

Sergio Ramos
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos scored in the 3-1 away win over Barcelona on Saturday and missed a good chance against Borussia Monchengladbach when it was goalless, but got the assist for the equaliser

Real brought on ex-Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric and former Chelsea forward Eden Hazard for his first appearance of the season in an attempt to rescue the game.

And the visitors pulled one back when Casemiro did well to reach a header and stop the ball going out of play, with it falling into Benzema's path and he scored acrobatically.

But Real were not finished and in the third minute of stoppage time a cushioned header from captain Ramos reached Casemiro and he steered his finish into the net

Real have reached at least the last 16 of the Champions League in every one of the past 23 seasons, and are in the same position as last year when they only picked up one point from their opening two games before reaching the knockout stages.

Nevertheless, Real, Champions League winners on three occasions in Zidane's two spells in charge, find themselves bottom of Group B with a lot of work to do.

Real loose at the back - the stats

  • Real Madrid avoided defeat in an away Champions League game having gone two goals behind for the first time since December 2006 against Dynamo Kyiv.
  • Real (drew one, lost three) have failed to win four consecutive matches across all European competitions for the first time since September 2006 (a run of five).
  • Borussia Monchengladbach have won only one of their last 12 matches in all competitions against Spanish teams (drew three, lost eight), winning 4-2 against Sevilla in November 2015 in the Champions League.
  • Real have conceded five goals in the Champions League this season - the joint most they have conceded at this stage of the competition (also in 2004-05 and 2019-20), while they have failed to win their opening two group games in consecutive campaigns.
  • Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuram became just the third Frenchman to net a double in their first home Champions League appearance, after Thierry Henry (1997, Monaco) and Moussa Dembele (2016, Celtic).
  • Monchengladbach became the 30th different opponent Karim Benzema has scored against in the Champions League - only Lionel Messi (36), Cristiano Ronaldo and Raul (33 each) have scored against more different opponents in the competition's history.
  • Sergio Ramos made his 125th Champions League appearance for Real Madrid - only six players have played more games for a single club in the competition's history.

Player of the match

ThuramMarcus Thuram

with an average of 8.49

Borussia Mönchengladbach

  1. Squad number10Player nameThuram
    Average rating

    8.49

  2. Squad number25Player nameBensebaini
    Average rating

    7.43

  3. Squad number36Player nameEmbolo
    Average rating

    7.37

  4. Squad number14Player namePlea
    Average rating

    7.35

  5. Squad number28Player nameGinter
    Average rating

    7.30

  6. Squad number30Player nameElvedi
    Average rating

    7.28

  7. Squad number6Player nameKramer
    Average rating

    7.27

  8. Squad number32Player nameNeuhaus
    Average rating

    7.17

  9. Squad number7Player nameHerrmann
    Average rating

    7.16

  10. Squad number13Player nameStindl
    Average rating

    7.13

  11. Squad number18Player nameLainer
    Average rating

    7.11

  12. Squad number23Player nameHofmann
    Average rating

    7.11

  13. Squad number11Player nameWolf
    Average rating

    7.09

  14. Squad number1Player nameSommer
    Average rating

    6.40

Real Madrid

  1. Squad number9Player nameBenzema
    Average rating

    5.65

  2. Squad number7Player nameE Hazard
    Average rating

    5.50

  3. Squad number14Player nameCasemiro
    Average rating

    5.44

  4. Squad number10Player nameModric
    Average rating

    5.33

  5. Squad number20Player nameVinícius Júnior
    Average rating

    4.77

  6. Squad number25Player nameRodrygo
    Average rating

    4.65

  7. Squad number8Player nameKroos
    Average rating

    4.58

  8. Squad number4Player nameRamos
    Average rating

    4.53

  9. Squad number15Player nameValverde
    Average rating

    4.37

  10. Squad number11Player nameAsensio
    Average rating

    4.17

  11. Squad number23Player nameMendy
    Average rating

    4.15

  12. Squad number1Player nameCourtois
    Average rating

    4.10

  13. Squad number5Player nameVarane
    Average rating

    3.98

  14. Squad number17Player nameLucas Vázquez
    Average rating

    3.92

Line-ups

B Mgladbach

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Sommer
  • 18Lainer
  • 28Ginter
  • 30Elvedi
  • 25BensebainiBooked at 79mins
  • 6Kramer
  • 32NeuhausBooked at 85mins
  • 23Hofmann
  • 13StindlBooked at 55minsSubstituted forWolfat 79'minutes
  • 10ThuramSubstituted forHerrmannat 71'minutes
  • 14PleaSubstituted forEmboloat 79'minutes

Substitutes

  • 3Lang
  • 7Herrmann
  • 11Wolf
  • 16Traoré
  • 17Wendt
  • 19Lazaro
  • 21Sippel
  • 22Bénes
  • 24Jantschke
  • 31Grün
  • 36Embolo
  • 43Reitz

Real Madrid

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Courtois
  • 17Vázquez
  • 5Varane
  • 4Ramos
  • 23Mendy
  • 15Valverde
  • 14CasemiroBooked at 89mins
  • 8KroosSubstituted forModricat 71'minutes
  • 11AsensioSubstituted forRodrygoat 84'minutes
  • 9Benzema
  • 20Vinícius JúniorSubstituted forE Hazardat 70'minutes

Substitutes

  • 3Militão
  • 7E Hazard
  • 10Modric
  • 12Marcelo
  • 13Lunin
  • 18Jovic
  • 22Isco
  • 25Rodrygo
  • 26Altube
  • 40Santos
Referee:
Orel Grinfeld

Match Stats

Home TeamB MgladbachAway TeamReal Madrid
Possession
Home34%
Away66%
Shots
Home9
Away22
Shots on Target
Home5
Away6
Corners
Home1
Away8
Fouls
Home20
Away7

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Borussia Mönchengladbach 2, Real Madrid 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Borussia Mönchengladbach 2, Real Madrid 2.

  3. Post update

    Offside, Borussia Mönchengladbach. Hannes Wolf tries a through ball, but Breel Embolo is caught offside.

  4. Goal!

    Goal! Borussia Mönchengladbach 2, Real Madrid 2. Casemiro (Real Madrid) right footed shot from very close range to the top right corner. Assisted by Sergio Ramos with a headed pass.

  5. Post update

    Luka Modric (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  6. Post update

    Foul by Breel Embolo (Borussia Mönchengladbach).

  7. Post update

    Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Hannes Wolf (Borussia Mönchengladbach).

  9. Post update

    Attempt missed. Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Mönchengladbach) left footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.

  10. Booking

    Casemiro (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  11. Post update

    Foul by Casemiro (Real Madrid).

  12. Post update

    Patrick Herrmann (Borussia Mönchengladbach) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  13. Goal!

    Goal! Borussia Mönchengladbach 2, Real Madrid 1. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) left footed shot from very close range to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Casemiro with a headed pass.

  14. Post update

    Casemiro (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  15. Post update

    Foul by Breel Embolo (Borussia Mönchengladbach).

  16. Booking

    Florian Neuhaus (Borussia Mönchengladbach) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  17. Post update

    Luka Modric (Real Madrid) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  18. Post update

    Foul by Florian Neuhaus (Borussia Mönchengladbach).

  19. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) header from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Luka Modric with a cross.

  20. Substitution

    Substitution, Real Madrid. Rodrygo replaces Marco Asensio.

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Bayern Munich22006156
2Atl Madrid210136-33
3Lokomotiv Moscow201134-11
4RB Salzburg201145-11

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Shakhtar Donetsk21103214
2B Mgladbach20204402
3Inter Milan20202202
4Real Madrid201145-11

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Man City22006156
2FC Porto21013303
3Olympiakos210112-13
4Marseille200204-40

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Liverpool22003036
2Atalanta21106244
3Ajax201123-11
4FC Midtjylland200206-60

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1FK Krasnodar10101101
2Rennes10101101
3Sevilla10100001
4Chelsea10100001

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Lazio11003123
2Club Bruges11002113
3Zenit St Petersburg100112-10
4B Dortmund100113-20

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Barcelona11005143
2Juventus11002023
3Dynamo Kyiv100102-20
4Ferencvárosi TC100115-40

H

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1RB Leipzig11002023
2Man Utd11002113
3PSG100112-10
4Istanbul Basaksehir100102-20
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