Bayern Munich 1 – Borussia Moenchengladbach 1

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Switzerland international XHERDAN SHAQIRI of Bayern Munich, the versatile 21-year-old midfielder who arrived this past summer after transferring from Swiss champion FC Basel for a fee of 9.0 million Euros, dribbles away from Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Norway international midfielder HAVARD NORDTVEIT (16), the 22-year-old who was bought by die Fohlen from English Premier League club FC Arsenal of London at the cost of 900,000 Euros over the Winterpause of the 2010/11 campaign, during the Bundesliga match at the always sold-out Allianz Arena in southern Germany.
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12/14/12
Bundesliga
Spieltag # 17

1 – BAYERN MUNICH ———————————– Shaqiri 59′
1 – BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH ——— Marx pen 21′

A first half penalty from the visitors was canceled out by a second half equalizer from an emergency replacement and a stellar performance from the guest’s goalkeeper made sure there would be no winner on this day as hosting record German champion BAYERN MUNICH and longtime nemisis BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH drew 1-1 to close out the first half of this historic 50th Bundesliga campaign.

Although the Bavarians began to control play from the opening kick-off, it was the visitors from North Rhine-Westphalia who took the lead in only the 21st minute of the match. A left wing cross from youthful Borussia Moenchengladbach midfielder TOLGA CIGERCI, the 20-year-old out on loan from Vfl Wolfsburg did, in fact, strike a leaping Germany international defender JEROME BOATENG on the arm. THORBEN MARX, the 31-year-old veteran midfielder who has been with die Fohlen since leaving Arminia Bielefeld in the summer of 2009, slotted the ball past Bayern Munich goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER, the current first choice for Germany, into the far corner with absolutely no problem.

Bayern Munich sought to fight back immediately but would find themselves facing a very much in-form netminder standing between the sticks for die Fohlen all throughout the entire match in MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN, the talented and still only 20-year-old who has already made a pair of appearances for the senior national team of Germany.

Truth be told, Bayern Munich were lucky to have not gone down by two goals in the first half after Cigerci got around Neuer — Brazilian centerback DANTE, the 29-year-old veteran who had spent the last three and a half years in the Bundesliga with Borussia Moenchengladbach after transferring from Belgian club Standard Liege before moving only this past summer to Bayern Munich for the price of 4.7 million Euros, saved the day by clearing off the line.

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Bayern Munich continued their relentless pursuit of an equalizer immediately after the re-start but ter Stegen made a fabulous save from Germany international midfielder BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER; the Brazilian centerback Dante, who had seen a first half header land on the roof of Borussia Moenchengladbach’s net, watched as another one of his headers only missed by inches.

Finally, the hosts drew level after the Borussia goal-scorer Marx, himself, made an ill-advised pass at the top of his own penalty area just before the hour. Sweeping in to intercept this defeadful mistake was Switzerland international XHERDAN SHAQIRI, the opportunistic midfielder who had come on as a first half substitute for the injured Spain international JAVIER MARTINEZ not so long before the break. A low, left-footed blast from the little Swiss tank squeezed between ter Stegen and the near post to bring Shaqiri, who has already netted for Bayern Munich in the D.F.B Pokal (German Cup) as well as the UEFA Champions League this term, a very first career goal on his 12th appearance in the vaunted Bundesliga, itself, this season.

The runaway Bundesliga leaders this term now sought to bag all three points with great vigor but to no avail. France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY, the Bayern goal-scorer Shaqiri, Schweinsteiger as well as Germany international midfielder TONI KROOS would all have potential Bavarian match-winners kept out by the impressive ter Stegen.

Still, Bayern Munich concluded the very successful first half of the 2012/13 Bundesliga season with the magnificent record of thirteen wins against but a solitary loss and three drawn matches. The team directed by trainer JUPP HEYNCKES, which boasts a fabulous +37 goal-differential in the Bundesliga this term, holds a nine-point lead over the nearest competitor, that being Bayer Leverkusen, heading into the annual winter break. The defending champions, Borussia Dortmund, are a dozen points off the pace as Christmas approaches.

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Borussia Monechengladbach goalkeeper MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN (1), the young Germany international who made a strong case for Man-of-the-Match honors in this final Bundesliga game for both sides before the annual Winterpause, grabs the ball in front of his former teammate and Bayern Munich’s current Brazilian centerback, DANTE, during the Bundesliga match watched by 71,000 spectators at the sold-out Allianz Arena in Bavaria.
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BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, Boateng, Dante, Alaba – Martinez (Shaqiri 38′), Schweinsteiger – Mueller (Pizarro 80′), Kroos, Ribery – Mandzukic (Gomez 57′)

BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH : ter Stegen – Jantschke, Stranzl, Brouwers, Wendt – Marx – Hermann (Rupp 79′), Nordtveit, Cigerci (Xhaka 76′), Arango – Hanke (de Camargo 75′)

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Berlin-Bound Bayern Defeat Borussia On Penalties In DFB Pokal Semifinal

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Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN of Bayern Munich shields the ball from Borussia Moenchengladbach veteran midfielder JUAN ARANGO (18), the 31-year-old who has compiled 103 caps and 19 goals for the national team of Venezuela in his career, during the closely-contested D.F.B. Pokal semifinal match in front of a sold-out crowd at Borussia Park in the central-western German state of North-Rhine Westphalia.
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An epic struggle between two of the Bundesliga’s best defensive sides this season produced, perhaps not so surprisingly, a scoreless draw followed by a dramatic penalty kick shootout during which a world-class goalkeeper showed why exactly his club had shelled out a such a considerable pile of money for his services this past summer as record German Cup-winner BAYERN MUNICH defeated BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH in the semifinal of the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal.

Bayern Munich, who have lifted the D.F.B. Pokal no less than 15 times in club history since winning a first back in 1957, arrived at Borussia Park having scored a whopping 20 goals on their last three outings in all competitions. Host Borussia Moenchengladbach, on the other hand, are tied for the best record in the Bundesliga having conceded just 16 goals in 26 top flight matches this term. The one fact staring die Fohlen in the face prior to kickoff was their all-time record opposite the visiting Bavarians in the D.F.P. Pokal — five losses and one draw.

Germany international midfielder TONI KROOS of Bayern Munich cranked a low, curling drive from just outside the box off the base of the right post in the sixth minute to rattle some nerves in North Rhine-Westphalia. But youthful Borussia Moenchengladbach goalkeeper MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN stayed cool and kept out a header from Germany international striker MARIO GOMEZ with a sensational flying save shortly thereafter. At the other end, the Bavarians needed Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER to deal with threats from national team constituent MARCO REUS, who easily leads Borussia Moenchengladbach with 14 Bundesliga goals this season, and Belgium international defender FILIP DAEMS in the first half.

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Germany international striker MARIO GOMEZ (33) of Bayern Munich, who leads the Bundesliga with 22 goals this season and has netted thirty-five times in all competitions for the Bavarians this term, attempts to round Borussia Moenchengladbach’s 19-year-old goalkeeper MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN during the Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal semifinal match at Borussia Park.
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Bona-fide chances became fewer and fewer as the match wore along. Ter Stegen continued his good form and halted efforts from Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN, who had scored seven goals in his last four matches for Bayern Munich heading into the D.F.B. Pokal semifinal with Borussia Moenchengladbach, and Gomez at point-blank range. Neuer, meanwhile, pulled off the Save of the Game by stopping Reus in a one-on-one situation with just over six minutes remaining.

Extra-time failed to produce a result and so, as was the case in the Finale of the 1984 Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal, the two teams required penalties to settle the this semifinal Cup tie.

All of the shooters for Bayern Munich — 19-year-old Austria international DAVID ALABA, France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY, Germany World Cup defender and club captain PHILIPP LAHM as well as Kroos — had little trouble bulging the back of the net. Brazilian defender DANTE, who has been the subject of rumors revolving around a possible move to Bavaria in the summer, put Borussia Moenchengladbach behind the eight-ball by failing to his the target. Once Neuer blocked Norway international midfielder HAVARD NORDVEIT with his legs, Bayern Munich had booked its ticket to Berlin.

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Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER of Bayern Munich, the major acquisition costing 18.0 million Euros from current Cup holders Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen this past summer, snatches the loose ball to complete a spectacular save and stop Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Germany international MARCO REUS (11) from scoring a late match-winner in the 84th minute of the dramatic Deutscher Fussball Bund Pokal semifinal match at sold-out Borussia Park in North Rhine-Westphalia.
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BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH : ter Stegen – Jantschke, Stranzl (Brouwers 62′), Dante, Daems – Neustaedter, Nordveit – Wendt (Hermann 62′), Arango – Reus, Hanke (De Camargo 75′)

BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Alaba – Luiz Gustavo, Kroos – Robben, Mueller (Petersen 106′), Ribery – Gomez (Olic 100′)

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Borussia Moenchengladbach 3 – Bayern Munich 1

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Borussia Moenchengladbach striker MIKE HANKE (19), the 28-year-old veteran who has earned 12 caps and scored one goal for Deutschland over the course of his career to date, dribbles the ball ahead of Bayern Munich’s Germany World Cup midfielder BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER during the important Bundesliga match at Borussia Park in North Rhine-Westphalia.
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1/20/12
Bundesliga
Spieltag # 18

3 – BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH —— Reus 11′, Hermann 41′, 72′
1 – BAYERN MUNICH ———————————- Schweinsteiger 76′

An early goal conceded incredibly cheap opened the floodgates for three strikes unanswered for the home side as BORUSSIA MONECHENGLADBACH saw off Bundesliga Herbstmeister BAYERN MUNICH 3-1 in the first round of domestic play since the end of the annual Winterpause.

A shockingly inept clearance from Germany first choice goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER gifted fellow national team constituent MARCO REUS, on his way to Borussia Dortmund at the conclusion of the 2011/12 campaign for a reported transfer fee of 17.5 million Euros, his 11th goal for die Fohlen in the Bundesliga this term in only the eleventh minute of the contest. Youth team product and Germany U-21 international PATRICK HERMANN, the 20-year-old who had netted three goals in fourteen league matches before the traditional winter break, added a crucial second goal for Borussia with only four minutes to go before the halftime whistle. Later, a clever feed from Reus would allow Hermann to dribble around Neuer and tack on his second goal of the match in the 72nd minute.

Germany World Cup midfielder BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER, making his first Bundesliga appearance in nearly three months after breaking his collarbone in the UEFA Champions League clash with Italian Serie A side SSC Napoli earlier this past fall, pulled a goal back for Bayern Munich with less than a quarter of an hour to go. Not enough, however, to prevent the Bavarians’ three-point lead at the top of the German table from quickly evaporating as Dortmund errupted for five goals in Hamburg over the weekend. Hopefully, though, Schweinsteiger’s fifth goal of the season in all competitions will prove to be a harbinger of good things to come over the second half of Bayern Munich’s campaign.

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Belgium international DANIEL VAN BUYTEN of Bayern Munich, who has scored four goals in a baker’s dozen Bundesliga matches this term, suffered a fractured metatarsil in the clash with Borussia Moenchengladbach that will require surgery and mandate a long spell on the injury list for the 31-year-old veteran defender.
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BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH : ter Stegen – Jantschke, Stranzl, Brouwers, Daems – Nordtveit, Neustaedter – Hermann (Marx 89), Arango – Reus (Leckie 90′), Hanke (de Camargo 82)

BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Boateng (Rafinha 66′), van Buyten (Luiz Gustavo 76′), Badstuber, Lahm – Tymoshchuk (Alaba 57), Schweinsteiger – Robben, Mueller, Kroos – Gomez

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Bayern Munich 0 – Borussia Moenchengladbach 1

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With Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN watching from behind, Brazil international fullback RAFINHA of Bayern Munich attempts to tackle the ball away from Borussia Moenchengladbach’s attack-minded midfielder MICHAEL REUS (right), who led die Fohlen with ten goals in the German top flight last term, during the Bundesliga season-opener at the Allianz Arena in Bavaria.
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08/07/2011
Bundesliga
Spieltag # 1

0 – BAYERN MUNICH
1 – BOR. MOENCHENGLADBACH ——— de Camargo 62′

A most familiar story, then, as all the possession and territorial advantage a team could want, in the end, amount to nothing as yet another soft goal conceded very much against the run of play just past the hour mark produces yet another terribly disappointing result as record German champion BAYERN MUNICH crash 1-0 at home to heavy underdog BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH in their opening match of this 2011-12 Bundesliga season.

To put things in perspective — Die Fohlen (the Foals), who finished 16th out of 18 teams in the Bundesliga last term and just barely escaped banishment to the German second division, just defeated Bayern Munich in Bavaria for only the second time ever in 44 league meetings.

Germany internationl striker MARIO GOMEZ, the Bundesliga Torjaegermeister with 28 goals a season ago, headed a cross flush off the post in the 55th minute which would, ultimately, serve well to foreshadow the fate that would become of Bayern Munich and their trainer JUPP HEYNCKES, who had been such a magnificent goal-scorer for Borussia Moenchengladbach during his playing days.

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Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER had done well to deny Borussia Moenchengladbach’s experienced Venezuela international midfielder JUAN ARANGO shortly before the break but was completely at fault when Belgium international striker IGOR DE CAMARGO beat him to a ball to put Bayern Munich behind for good shorlty after the hour.

Germany World Cup winger THOMAS MUELLER looked to have leveled matters for Bayern Munich with about a quarter hour to play after only to have his strike controversially canceled on account of offsides. Borussia Moenchengladbach’s inexpereinced goalkeeper MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN was able to keep out a low drive from Germany World Cup midfielder BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER but Mueller garnered the rebound on the left and headed home. However, the luckless Gomez was seen by the linesman to have been in an offside position.

The 19-year-old ter Stegen, who entered with exactly six Bundesliga games under his belt before facing star-studded Bayern Munich in the opener, had a solid match with seven shots stopped it should be noted.

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BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Rafinha, Boateng (Petersen 76′), Badstuber, Lahm – Luiz Gustavo, Schweinsteiger – Robben, Kroos (Ribery 60′), Mueller – Gomez

BOR. MOENCHENGLADBACH : ter Stegen – Jantschke (Marx 90′), Brouwers, Dante, Daems – Nordtveit, Neustaedter – Reus (Rupp 90+2′), Arango – Hanke (Hermann 83′), de Camargo

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Spieler Bericht : Borussia Moenchengladbach 2011/12

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Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN (10) of Bayern Munich left-foots the ball past Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Belgium international goalkeeper LOGAN BAILLY (30), who has since been sent out on loan by die Fohlen to Swiss club Neuchatel Xamax, for the only goal of the Bundesliga match contested last spring at the Allianz Arena in Bavaria.
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Considering the new trainer the Bavarian club have hired for this season, perhaps it is most appropriate that BAYERN MUNICH will begin its 2011-12 campaign against BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH on the road in western Germany near the border with Belgium.

Even though the old Boekelbergstadion has since been demolished and replaced by apartment buildings, the North Rhine-Westphalian town is still the scene where West Germany international striker JUPP HEYNCKES — a European champion in 1972 and World Cup winner two years later — scored boatloads of goals (218 in leauge play alone) for die Fohlen.

Back then, Borussia Moenchengladbach, who won five league championships and two UEFA Cups in a ten-year span, and Bayern Munich, who captured three domestic titles in addition to three European Cups during that same span, were both very powerful clubs consistently battling at the top of the Bundesliga table.

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Three regulars last season — Belgium international defender FILIP DAEMS (3), Venezuela international midfielder JUAN ARANGO (middle) and former Germany U-21 international midfielder THORBEN MARX (14) — all return to Swiss trainer LUCIEN FAVRE’s Borussia Moenchengladbach side to begin this 2011-12 Bundesliga season.
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Just like their scheduled opposition to open the new Bundesliga season on Sunday, BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH and Swiss trainer LUCIEN FAVRE won its first competitive match of the new campaign with the 3-1 victory in the first round of the D.F.B. Pokal on the road opposite SVV Jahn Regensburg, who finished 8th in the German third division last side, in Bavaria.

Belgium international IGOR DE CAMARGO, a transfer last summer from Jupiler League side Standard Liege, finished as die Fohlen’s top forward with seven goals and will feature up front with Germany 2006 World Cup striker MIKE HANKE, who scored one goal and laid on six others for Borussia Moenchengladbach following a free transfer from Hannover 96 last winter. Also at the disposal of Favre is 31-year-old veteran Cameroon international MOHAMMADOU IDRISSOU, who notched five goals in the Bundesliga a year ago. And Argentine striker RAUL BOBADILLA, who had three goals in 14 Bundesliga games last fall, has returned to North Rhine-Westphalia after finishing last term out on loan with FC Aris Thessaloniki in Greece.

Attack-minded MICHAEL REUS, who led die Fohlen wih 10 goals in 32 Bundesliga games last season, will anchor the midfield for Borussia Moenchengladbach along with the experienced 31-year-old international JUAN ARANGO, who recently won his 100th cap for Venezuela at the Copa America tournament this summer. Former SC Hertha Berlin man THORBEN MARX has 210 Bundesliga matches under his belt in his career while United States World Cup midfielder MICHAEL BRADLEY, who tallied three goals in 19 Bundesliga games before heading to England for a bench-warming spell with Aston Villa, is now back with Borussia. Another to watch is 21-year-old Norway international HAVARD NORDTVEIT, who made 16 Bundesliga appearances after the Winterpause with Moenchengladbach last term following his transfer from English club FC Arsenal in London.

25-year-old Sweden international OSCAR WENDT has signed on a free transfer from Danish club FC Copenhagen to join a Borussia backline corps that already includes aging Belgium international FILIP DAEMS, the Brazilian cult hero DANTE as well as experienced Austria international MARTIN STRANZL, the one-time Vfb Stuttgart defender who was purchased last winter from powerful Russian side Spartak Moscow for 800,000 Euros.

CHRISTOFER HEIMEROTH, the man who conceded three goals to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga draw at Borussia Park last November, is the likely first choice between the sticks for die Fohlen now that Belgium international LOGAN BAILLY has been farmed out to Neuchatel Xamax in Switzerland.

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With Germany World Cup reserve goalkeeper HANS-JOERG BUTT lying beaten and Belgium international defender DANIEL VAN BUYTEN (5) of Bayern Munich surveying the damage, 22-year-old attacking midfielder MARCO REUS (11) of Borussia Moenchengladbach runs away after scoring a goal during the 3-3 Bundesliga draw at the Stadion im Borussia Park on Hennes Weisweiler Allee in North Rhine-Westphalia last November.
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BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH
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Players In
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fw – Raul BOBADILLA – Argentina —— fr FC Aris Thessaloniki (Gre)
fw – Joshua KING – Norway —————- fr Manchester United (Eng)
mf – Michael BRADLEY – USA int’l —— fr Aston Villa (Eng)
mf – Yuki OTSU – Japan ———————- fr Kashiwa Reysol (Jap)
mf – Mathew LECKIE – Australia ——— fr Adelaide City (Aus)
mf – Lukas RUPP ——————————— fr SC Karlsruhe
df – Oscar WENDT – Sweden int’l ——– fr FC Copenhagen (Den)
df – Matthias ZIMMERMAN —————- fr SC Karlsruhe

Players Out
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mf – Karim MATMOUR – Algeria int’l ——– to Eintracht Frankfurt
mf – Marcel MEEUWIS – Holland ————– to VVV Venlo (Hol)
df – ANDERSON BAMBA – Brazil ————— to Eintracht Frankfurt
df – Sebastien SCHACHTEN ———————– to FC St. Pauli Hamburg
df – Jens WISSING ————————————- to SC Paderborn
gk – Logan BAILLY – Belgium int’l ————– to Neuchatel Xamax (Switz)

(Bobadila and Bradley had both been sent out on loan by Borussia Moenchengladbach in January of 2011, King is out on loan to die Fohlen from English club Manchester United for this season; Meeuwis had been out on loan to Dutch side Feyenoord Rotterdam since February of 2011, Bailly is out on loan to Swiss side FC Neuchatel Xamax while Anderson Bamba has been farmed out to 2.Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt)

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Sweden international defender OSCAR WENDT of Danish club FC Copenhagen, who has earned 16 caps for Tre Kronor and will soon be making his debut in the Bundesliga for Borussia Moenchengladbach this season, slide tackles debutant Germany midfielder LEWIS HOLTBY (8), at the time out on loan from Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen to FSV 05 Mainz, during the goalless draw in Gothenburg last November.

Die Fohlen Have Mike Hanke From Hannover For Free

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Experienced striker MIKE HANKE, shown here celebrating a goal for Hannover 96 in the Bundesliga, appeared as a substitute for the host nation against Portugal in the 3rd place match (won 3-1 by Germany) in Stuttgart at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Deutschland. (Bongarts/Getty Images)
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Bundesliga cellar-dwellars BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH concluded a busy day at the transfer market by signing out-of-favor 27-year-old Germany international striker MIKE HANKE on a free transfer from Hannover 96.

Hanke’s tenure with the Lower Saxony club began well enough following a transfer from Vfl Woflsburg — believed to have cost somewhere between four and five million Euros — with a career high 10 goals in 31 Bundesliga matches for the 2007-08 campaign, but the veteran’s playing time decreased for Hannover 96 with each subsequent season thereafter.

Although Hanke was the third-leading goal-scorer for 4th place Hannover 96 this Bundesliga season, the striker with 12 caps and one goal for Germany had not started a single game this term for die Roten.

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MIKE HANKE
Bundesliga record

2001/02 —– 1 ga —– 0 goals — Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen
2002/03 —– 8 ga —– 0 goals — Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen
2003/04 — 22 ga —– 2 goals — Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen
2004/05 — 25 ga —– 5 goals — Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen
2005/06 — 31 ga —– 8 goals — Vfl Wolfsburg
2006/07 — 22 ga —– 8 goals — Vfl Wolfsburg
2007/08 — 31 ga — 10 goals — Hannover 96
2008/09 — 25 ga —– 4 goals — Hannover 96
2009/10 — 18 ga —— 2 goals — Hannover 96
2010/11 —– 7 ga —— 3 goals — Hannover 96

Die Fohlen Fetch Havard Nordtveit From FC Arsenal

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Paraguay World Cup striker LUCAS BARRIOS, who finished third in the Bundesliga with 19 goals for Borussia Dortmund for the 2009-10 campaign, plays the ball just before the challenge from 1.FC Nuremberg’s on-loan Norway U-21 international defender HAVARD NORDTVEIT (4) at the EasyCredit Stadion, long known as the Frankenstadion, last spring in Bavaria. (Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images
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BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH, sitting 18th and last in the Bundesliga, have added a second defender during the Winterpause as Norway U-21 international HAVARD NORDTVEIT has been nabbed from English Premier League club FC Arsenal for reported transfer fee of 900,000 Euros.

Nordtveit has been on the books at Arsenal since July of 2007 when signed from Norwegian outfit FK Haugesund in exchange for 500,000 English pounds. The 20-year-old, however, never did get a first team game for the Gunners. Arsenal sent the youngster out on loan to UD Salamanca in the Spanish Segunda Division for what supposed to be a six-month loan period to to begin the 2008-09 season.

Nordtveit was recalled to London by Arsenal in late October, ahead of schedule, after appearing just three times for Salamanca; the defender was sent out on another six-month loan in March of 2009, this time to SK Lillestrom in the Norwegian Premier League, for whom Nordtveit played 15 games.

At the conclusion of that assignment, Arsenal arranged a one-year loan deal and Nordtveit departed to join Bundesliga club 1.FC Nuremberg for the 2009-10 campaign; the Norwegian appeared in 19 games (14 starts) and scored no goals, mostly deployed as a defensive midfielder in the German top flight last term.

Borussia Moenchengladbach Sign Martin Stranzl From Spartak Moscow

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Wearing the captain’s armband, Austria international MARTIN STRANZL of Spartak Moscow blasts a shot past the outstretched boot of Olympique Marseille’s France international midfielder MATHIEU VALBUENA (28) at the Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex in the capital city of Russia. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images)
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Bottom club BORUSSIA MONECHENGLADBACH, by a wide margin the team with the worst defensive record in the Bundesliga, have announced the signing of Austria international MARTIN STRANZL from Russian side Spartak Moscow.

The 30-year-old defender, who has won 56 caps and scored three goals for Austria in his career, was purchased by Borussia Monechengladbach — who have given up an average of almost three goals per game — for a transfer fee thought by reports in the German media to be 800,000 Euros.

The creaky defense of die Fohlen conceded a whopping 47 goals in the 17 matches comprising the first half of this Bundesliga season — this eye-catching total was a full twelve goals more than the two teams with the second worst defensive record in the German top flight, both Werder Bremen and Vfb Stuttgart.

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France international striker LOIC REMY (11), who was purchased by Olympique Marseille from OGC Nice for 15.5 million Euros this past summer, is sent flying by the tackle of Austria international defender MARTIN STRANZL (3) of Russian side Spartak Moscow at the Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex. (Grigory Dukor/Reuters)
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For Stranzl, who has never played professionally in his home country of Austria, the transaction represents a return to his footballing roots.

Stranzl made his pro debut as an 18-year-old with TSV 1860 Munich and played three Bundesliga games during the 1998-99 season; after six seasons with the Bavarian club, the Austria international transferred to Vfb Stuttgart to start the 2004-05 campaign.

With 140 games and five goals in the Bundesliga under his belt, Stranzl was sold by the Swabians to Spartak Moscow for 3.0 million Euros in March of 2006.

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With Argentina World Cup defender GABRIELE HEINZ (19) of French club Olympique Marseille watching, Austria international defender MARTIN STRANZL (3) of Spartak Moscow is mugged by Olympique Marseille goalkeeper STEVE MANDANDA (30) during the UEFA Champions League match in late November at the Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex in the capital city of Russia. (Ivan Sekretarev/AP)

Hannover 96 Down Borussia Moenchengladbach In American Bundesliga Derby

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Hannover 96 striker JAN SCHLAUDRAFF looks to squeeze through the Borussia Moenchengladbach sandwich of United States World Cup midfielder MICHAEL BRADLEY and Brazilian defender BAMBA ANDERSON (5) at Borussia Park in snowy North Rhine-Westphalia. (Roberto Pfeil/DAPD)
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High-flying HANNOVER 96 came from a goal down in the second half against ten-man BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH to claim a 2-1 victory in the American Bundesliga Derby and, if only temporarily, move into third place in the standings of the German top flight.

United States World Cup midfielder MICHAEL BRADLEY had given the hosts the lead in the 17th minute with a long-range free kick from well on the left wing that was somehow allowed to tuck inside the post and afford the American a third Bundesliga goal this season.

However, Borussia Moenchengladbach had Argentine striker RAUL BOBADILLA dismissed in the 43rd minute following an assault with the leg levied against veteran 30-year-old Portuguese winger SERGIO PINTO and the Bundesliga cellar-dwellers could not hold on to their advantage after the break.

Hannover 96, captained by United States World Cup defender STEVE CHERUNDOLO, struck twice in three minutes as the final quarter hour at Borussia Park approached; substitute striker MIKE HANKE, who has collected 12 caps in his career for Germany, and Ivory Coast international striker DIDIER YA KONAN scored the goals for the visitors, who won for the ninth time in 15 Bundesliga matches this season.

The 26-year-old Ya Konan, who arrived at Hannover 96 from Norwegian club BK Rosenborg Trondheim in August of 2009, registered his seventh Bundesliga goal of the year and is on pace to top his total of nine goals in 25 games from last season.

The 27-year-old Hanke, who scored 10 goals in 31 games for Hannover 96 during the 2007-08 campaign, fired his second Bundesliga goal this term on only his fourth appearance, all as a replacement.

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Argentine striker RAUL BOBADILLA (9) of Borussia Moenchengladbach, who has scored seven goals in 44 games in the German top flight since his 4.0 million Euro transfer from Swiss side Grasshopper Zurich in July of 2009, indicates exactly how many United States international players are dressed in uniform and available for the Bundesliga match against Hannover 96 at Borussia Park in western Germany.(Roberto Pfeil/DAPD)
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BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH : Heimeroth – Levels, Anderson, Callsen Bracker, Daems – Bradley, Marx (Matmour 82′) – Reus, Arango – Bobadilla, de Camargo (Idrissou 72′)

HANNOVER 96 : Fromlowitz – Cherundolo, Eggimann, Pogatetz, Schulz – Schmiedebach, Pinto – Stindl (Hanke 59′), Rausch – Ya Konan (Forssell 90′), Schlaudraff (Chahed 83′)

Dortmund Continue Down Championship Road

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Germany international winger KEVIN GROSSKREUTZ (19) of Borussia Dortmund gestures after scoring his fourth Bundesliga goal, and fifth of the season in all competitions, opposite Borussia Moenchengladbach at Signal Iduna Park, the former Westfalenstadion, in North-Rhine Westphalia. (Martin Meissner/AP)
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BOURSSIA DORTMUND reacted to going down a goal at home by equalizing in injury time of the first half and exploding for three goals after the break to blow out Bundesliga bottom-dwellers BORUSSIA MONECHENGLADBACH 4-1.

21-year-old Borussia Moenchengladbach striker MARCO REUS, after an aggressive run straight into the teeth of the Borussia Dortmund defense, released a swerving shot from outside the box that flew just past the fingertips of the diving goalkeeper ROMAN WEIDENFELLER into the right corner of the net.

Die Schwarzgelben, who attacked from the outset but had been denied by a pair of standout saves from visiting goalkeeper CHRISTOFER HEIMEROTH, brought the match back to level terms when 21-year-old Serbia World Cup defender NEVEN SUBOTIC headed the corner kick of 18-year-old newly-capped Germany international midfielder MARIO GOETZE to score his first Bundesliga goal this season.

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Serbia World Cup defender NEVEN SUBOTIC of Borussia Dortmund, whose only other goal this season came in the German Cup, outjumps his Borussia Moenchengladbach marker to head the equalizer during time added on to the first half at Signal Iduna Park. (Martin Meissner/AP)
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Goetze, who recently became the second youngest since World War II and the seventh most youthful player ever to be capped for Germany, assisted on the game-winner, as well; a perfectly weighted ball allowed Japan international midfielder SHINJI KAGAWA to run on and round Heimeroth for his seventh goal of this Bundesliga season soon after the halftime whistle.

Later, a clever backheel from Paraguay World Cup striker LUCAS BARRIOS allowed Germany international winger KEVIN GROSSKREUTZ to burst into the area and toe-poke past the beleaguered Heimeroth.

Barrios added a goal himself with a clinical finish following a great ball from Borussia Dortmund’s 32-year-old veteran Brazilian midfielder ANTONIO DA SILVA, a late substitute for Goetze who spent last season with FC Basel in Switzerland out on loan from SC Karlsruhe.

The Paraguayan now leads Borussia Dortmund with both eight goals in the Bundesliga as well as 13 goals in all competitions this season.

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Germany youth international striker FABIAN BAECKER and goalkeeper CHRISTOFER HEIMEROTH could be looking at football in the 2.Bundesliga next season if results for Borussia Moenchengladbach do not start improving immediately in the German top flight. (Juergen Schwarz/DAPD)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS