Written by Chad Nagel for Soccer Betting News. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Hamburger SV | Sunday 12 July | Borussia-Park | 15:00
Borussia Monchengladbach will face Hamburg at Borussia-Park stadium in one of two semi-final matches in the 2015 Telekom Cup on Sunday. Each semi-final will be played for only 45 minutes. The winner of this tie will play in the final of the tournament on the same day at the same stadium where they will meet the winner of the other semi-final clash between Bayern Munich and Augsburg.
To Win (45mins)
Borussia Monchengladbach 13/10
Draw 13/10
Hamburger SV 37/10
Borussia Monchengladbach
Borussia Monchengladbach achieved their best Bundesliga finish since 1987, as the Foals finished third behind Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg with automatic qualification to the Champions League secured for the first time since 1978. Gladbach’s successful season even included an historic unbeaten run from the start of the season until as late as November, eventually spanning nineteen games until the club’s first defeat. The Foals succumbed to defeat just six times in the Bundesliga last season while wins against Bayern Munich and resounding victories against Schalke and Borussia Dortmund respectively were just a few highlights of a great season. Monchengladbach will be hoping for another successful campaign and winning the Telekom Cup will start their season on a high. The Foals have a good recent head-to-head record against Hamburg having lost just once in their last ten matches. They’ve won four times including three from their last four meetings with the Red Shorts. Max Kruse – who scored eleven goals in the league last term – has just joined Wolfsburg, but the Foals can still rely on their top striker Raffael Caetano to hit the back of the net. The Brazilian netted twelve goals last season and if he gets top supply from the talented Thorgan Hazard – who is Gladbach’s creative hub – Caetano can be expected to take his chances.
Hamburger SV
Hamburg’s 2014/15 campaign will mostly be remembered for their lack of goals and sluggish performances. The Red Shorts secured a lifeline to their long-standing top-flight status thanks to a nerve-racking second-leg extra-time win at Karlsruher SC in the relegation playoff. Hamburg lost seventeen times last season and will be hoping for better things in the upcoming term. Victory over the Foals could give them some sort of confidence but it won’t be easy.
VERDICT: Borussia Monchengladbach 13/10
Hamburg have a terrible defence and will struggle to prevent Gladbach’s attack from running havoc. The Red Shorts conceded fifty goals in the league last season and their defence hasn’t been strengthened as yet. Not even a truncated game can help them keep a clean sheet and they don’t look to have many goals in them as they scored the least (25) in the Bundesliga last season. Get on the Foals and move on.
