It has been close to four decades since Borussia Monchengladbach made waves in Europe but the Bundesliga club are on the verge of Champions League qualification and victory over rivals Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday would all but seal it.
Gladbach have played a sensational season so far and are in third place on 60 points, two ahead of fourth-placed Leverkusen and two behind Wolfsburg in second.
A household name with their attacking game in the 1970s when they won five league titles and two Uefa Cups, Gladbach have never qualified for the Champions League group stage.
Victory over visitors Leverkusen would see them open up a five-point gap with their direct rivals with just two games left in the season.
“These are the games that you dream of when you become a professional footballer,” said winger Patrick Herrmann. “We are ready to fight and look forward to Saturday.”
Gladbach have played their best season in years and since the start of the year they are the best team in the Bundesliga, collecting more points even than champions Bayern Munich.
Their 2-1 victory at Hertha Berlin last week merely confirmed their stellar form.
With 70 per cent possession and a staggering 90 per cent in passing accuracy, Gladbach these days are taking the game to their opponents.
“Our quality is that week in week out we are performing on the pitch,” said striker Max Kruse, who could be leaving to join Wolfsburg at the end of the season.
Unbeaten in their last 11 league games and having won eight of them, Gladbach have not had such a Bundesliga run in 24 years.
Having only once before advanced to the Champions League qualifying rounds, Gladbach could now go a step further with an automatic group stage spot with a top three finish.
“With two points advantage over fourth spot it is an outstanding starting position for us,” said Gladbach sports director Max Eberl.
“In the direct clash with Bayer Leverkusen it is all about keeping them in check. We know how hard that will be given the statistic. We have not beaten Leverkusen at home in 26 years. We will try to snap that run on Saturday.”
Leverkusen are no pushovers, having beaten Bayern 2-0 last week and having played an almost equally good season since the new year.
“We know we have to survive in Gladbach but it is in our own hands to do it,” said Leverkusen’s Roberto Hilbert. “But we are not short of self-confidence.”
Already champions Bayern host European hopefuls Augsburg while second-placed Wolfsburg travel to struggling Paderborn.
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AUSTRALIA SQUAD v SOUTH AFRICA
Aaron Finch (capt), Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Results
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if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
