What was once a colossal Bundesliga rivalry to match any in the game, Borussia Mönchengladbach versus Bayern Munich has lost some of that lustre in recent years. However, for Saturday’s hosts, a performance akin to that produced by the Foals of old will be the aim when they face the record champions.
Basement boys Borussia are still winless at the start of the current campaign and have racked up an unwanted club record of 14 Bundesliga games without a single victory stretching back to last season. Despite that, interim coach Eugen Polanski believes there are signs to be optimistic that his team can turn things around.
Promoted from his position in charge of the club’s U23s to first-team affairs following the dismissal of Gerardo Seoane in September, the former Gladbach midfielder has faced a difficult task at the helm of a side low on morale and troubled by various injuries.
Watch: Polanski’s Gladbach held Leverkusen in the coach’s first game
Currently bottom of the Bundesliga standings, Borussia must now brace themselves for Saturday’s arrival of a Bayern side who are top of the pile and currently winning all before them.
“Our goal is to have a top, top, top day, and that’s in our own hands;” Polanski told bundesliga.com ahead of the the weekend encounter against the defending champions.
“We’ll need a bit of luck, but most importantly, the way we perform here in our stadium will be crucial,” the 39-year-old continued.
“Against Bayern, the manner of performance is more decisive than anything else [and] we definitely won’t be giving up in advance. Playing with all our hearts, anything is possible, even against Bayern. You [also] have to have the perfect day [while hoping] that maybe Bayern don’t.”
Watch: Borussia are facing the might of Bayern and Harry Kane
During his time as a player for Gladbach, Mainz and Hoffenheim, Polanski plied his trade under notable names such as Jupp Heynckes, Thomas Tuchel and Julian Nagelsmann.
The ex-senior Poland international – who also represented Germany at youth level – is currently trying to use his experience working with such tactical luminaries to inspire the Foals to greater things.
“I’ve always said that the great luck in my career was having very good coaches,” Polanski explained. “I’d say I took something from every coach. Jupp Heynckes was a people person, an emotional leader who really emphasised the human side.
“Then Thomas Tuchel in Mainz, who for the first time made me go home and say, ‘Wow, today’s was a real training session’ – not just because of what was on the schedule, but because we genuinely improved.
Polanski (l.) played under Thomas Tuchel at Mainz. – imago sportfotodienst
“I spent a long time under Julian Nagelsmann, who showed me new perspectives,” Polanski continued. “Especially in the last two years of my playing career [when] I was already thinking about what comes after football, so I looked at things differently.”
Fast forward to today, and Polanski is going into Saturday’s test against Bayern without star striker Tim Kleindienst, who is still recovering from last May’s operation on an injured meniscus.
That striker setback stands in stark contrast to what the visitors can boast coming to Borussia-Park. Harry Kane has netted 12 times in the Bundesliga already this season and his goals tally alone doubles that of what the entire Gladbach team have managed.
Gladbach’s interim coach (r.) once featured for Julian Nagelsmann’s Hoffenheim. – Alex Grimm
“If we talk about Tim specifically, he’s a player we absolutely need; someone who leads from the front, who triggers something in the opponent, and who has a big impact in our dressing room,” Polanski said. “It would be very helpful if he came back soon; he’s on a good road to recovery.”
Despite Kleindienst’s lack of availability, there has been some good news on the injury front, as Borussia’s coach explained.
“Giovanni Reyna and Franck Honorat returned in the last few weeks, so the situation is improving a bit. [But], of course, it also takes time for players to regain their best form.”
Polanski (r.) is relieved to have Gio Reyna fit again. – IMAGO/Anke Waelischmiller/Sven Simon
Die Fohlen will clearly need to be in their best form if they are to halt Bayern’s impressive winning sequence on Saturday, a game that will represent Polanski’s fifth in charge of the senior side.
“Overall, the mood is definitely not as bad as it might seem from the outside,” the coach said of his squad’s morale.
“I’ve imagined how to get my team ready [for Bayern]; how we can show the right attitude and performance in the stadium so that we can look at ourselves in the mirror afterward and say, ‘We gave everything.’ I’ll gladly take a win, I’ll take a draw, I’d rather not take a loss; but the way we play will be much more important,” he concluded.
