Borussia Mönchengladbach vs 1899 Hoffenheim

Hoffenheim started brightly, creating the first clear chance of the match in the seventh minute when Andrej Kramarić found space in the box after a fine ball from Fisnik Asllani, only for Moritz Nicolas to save with his feet.

But against the run of play, Gladbach struck first. In the 14th minute, Philipp Sander launched a long throw into the Hoffenheim box. The visitors cleared only partially, and Wael Mohya chested the ball down for Hugo Bolin, whose sharp snap-shot caught Oliver Baumann off guard and nestled into the bottom corner — Bolin's maiden Bundesliga goal for the club.

Gladbach doubled their lead in the 23rd minute, and there was a poetic twist: the goal came from Haris Tabaković — a Hoffenheim loanee. Yannik Engelhardt delivered a low cross into the area, Mohya swung and missed, but the ball fell perfectly for the Swiss striker, who finished emphatically past Baumann. He chose not to celebrate against his parent club, but the message was clear.

The second half began in disastrous fashion for Hoffenheim. Just five seconds after the restart, Tim Lemperle — already on a yellow card — pressed high and fouled Kevin Diks, earning a second booking and reducing the visitors to ten men.

Gladbach thought they had a third in the 64th minute when Tabaković slotted home again, but VAR intervened, ruling him offside in the build-up. The decision only delayed the inevitable.

Kevin Diks put the result beyond doubt in the 81st minute with a stunning strike from distance. Picking up a pass from Nico Elvedi, the Dutch full-back unleashed a powerful shot that flew past Baumann and into the top corner — a goal worthy of deciding any contest.

Robin Hack completed the rout in the first minute of stoppage time, dispossessing Leon Avdullahu before racing through on goal and calmly sliding the ball under Baumann for his first Bundesliga goal of the campaign.

• Possession: Gladbach 44% — 56% Hoffenheim
• Shots: Gladbach 9 (6 on target) — Hoffenheim 11 (3 on target)
• Expected Goals (xG): Gladbach 1.20 — Hoffenheim 1.62
• Corners: Gladbach 2 — Hoffenheim 9
• Yellow cards: 10 across both sides; Red cards: 1 (Lemperle, Hoffenheim)

The Hoffenheim loanee was voted Man of the Match with 44% of the vote. He scored Gladbach's crucial second goal, led the team in shots, and was a constant physical presence, winning fouls and holding up play effectively against the club that owns his registration.

For Hoffenheim, this defeat caps a season that promised more. Having pushed for a Champions League return for the first time since 2018/19, they came up just short — losing on the final day to a Gladbach side that had little to play for but pride.

Gladbach, meanwhile, finished 12th with 38 points — a mid-table consolidation after recent struggles. The seven-game unbeaten run at Borussia-Park to close the season offers a foundation for new head coach [head coach name] to build on ahead of 2026/27.

Hoffenheim will enter the group stage of the UEFA Europa League after finishing fifth. Gladbach head into the summer break looking to strengthen ahead of another Bundesliga campaign, with the hope that performances like this can become the norm rather than the exception.