17.02.2019 18:40 h

Gladbach frustrated in Frankfurt stalemate

Borussia Moenchengladbach were frustrated in their attempt to force their way further into the Bundesliga title race on Sunday when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt.

The draw left third-placed Gladbach on 43 points, five behind champions Bayern Munich and seven off leaders Borussia Dortmund who travel to Nuremberg on Monday.

The visitors dominated the match but were unable to convert their consistent pressure into goals, with midfielder Thorgan Hazard enduring a frustrating day in front of goal.

They were made to pay for their wastefulness when Frankfurt, also chasing European football next season, went in at the break with a 1-0 lead.

Frankfurt launched a counter in injury time, catching Gladbach off guard from a corner.

After receiving the ball on the edge of the box, Jonathan de Guzman miscued a shot on goal.

The ball, however, was collected by Danny da Costa who hammered home from close range.

The second half looked much like the first, with Gladbach pressing and Hazard spurning chance after chance.

But they finally broke through in the 82nd minute, with Denis Zakaria latching on to a 30-metre Tobias Strobl pass to score past the outstretched hands of Frankfurt keeper Kevin Trapp.

Frankfurt, who looked clearly fatigued after a mid-week trip to Ukraine in the Europa League, were fortunate to hold on and grab a valuable point in the closing stages.