Borussia Monchengladbach 2 Real Madrid 2 – Late strikes from Benzema and Casemeiro help Real salvage draw at Borussia Park Updated for April 2024

Updated: 26 November

UEFA Champions' League Group B – Borussia Park – Tuesday, 28 October 2020 – Matchday 2 of 6 report

Borussia Monchengladbach 2 Real Madrid 2

Real Madrid staved off certain defeat in a Group B clash at the Borussia Park on Tuesday when they salvaged a 2-2 draw thanks to a couple of very late goals from Karim Benzema and Casemiro.

Zidane's men got off to a bright start, producing chances with Benzema shooting wide, Sergio Ramos glancing a header off target and Toni Kroos forcing a save from  Monchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer. But Real were left to rue those missed opportunities as the hosts went ahead in the 33rd minute. Alassane Plea's deft pass, which went through the legs of Real center-back Raphael Varane was met by Marcus Thuram who executed a brilliant first-time finish, beating Thibaut Courtois all ends up.

Real threatened post the interval as Ferland Mendy hit the crossbar within seconds of the restart. But the visitors were made to pay again for their callous finishing as the 23-year old Thuram got the second of the night when he tapped in from a Courtois rebound in the 58th minute.

Gladbach could have easily killed the game off when Plea broke clear of the Real defense but was denied in a one-on-one situation with Courtois and Lars Stindl shot narrowly wide little later. Zidane introduced Luka Modric and Eden Hazard in the 70th and 71st minutes with the game drifting away from the La Liga giants.

But the 87th minute saw Casemiro heading a ball to Benzema in the box which the Frenchman spectacularly converted with an overhead kick to give his side a flicker of hope. Benzema with that goal became only the second player to score in 16 consecutive Champions League seasons. The 13-time champions on the verge of losing 4 consecutive European matches for the first time in their history, pulled off the miracle equalizer in the 3rd minute of stoppage time when a header from captain Sergio Ramos fell kindly to Casemiro to finish into the net.

Real who have managed to reach the last 16 of the Champions League in every one of the past 23 seasons, are in an identical position as last year when they only picked up one point from their opening two games before reaching the knockout stages.

Monchengladbach having played out 2 draws, one to Inter Milan before this one, are second on the table of the Group B cluster with 3 points below Shakhtar Donetsk's 4 while Real languish at the bottom.

Borussia Monchengladbach starting XI

• Sommer (goal)
• Lainer
• Ginter
• Elvedi
• Bensebaini
• Kramer
• Neuhaus
• Hofmann
• Stindl
• Thuram
• Plea

Subs

• Hermann 71m
• Wolf 79m
• Emboloat 79m

Real Madrid starting XI

• Courtois (goal)
• Vazquez
• Varane
• Ramos
• Mendy
• Valverde
• Casemiro
• Kroos
• Asensio
• Benzema
• Vinícius Júnior

Subs

• E Hazard 70m
• Modric 71m
• Rodrygo 84m

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