Borussia Monchengladbach have continued their bid for Champions League football by beating Freiburg 1-0 thanks to Patrick Herrmann's strike.
Monchengladbach were on top from the first whistle, and they twice came close to taking an early lead as Herrmann tested Roman Burki with a powerful strike before Max Kruse fired just wide after beating the offside trap.
Freiburg were simply unable to relieve the pressure on their goal, and Monchengladbach found the breakthrough midway through the first half when a deep cross fell to the feet of Herrmann, who kept his composure to finish emphatically.
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The home side continued to enjoy superiority heading into the break, but Burki kept Freiburg in the match by stopping Kruse's low effort.
A clever team move from Freiburg at the start of the second half created a chance for Felix Kraus, whose inability to beat Yann Sommer with a tame shot would prove to be a big missed opportunity for the visitors.
It would prove to be the closest Freiburg came to beating Sommer, but their improvement after the break frustrated the home supporters.
Monchengladbach's back four responded well to the questions asked of them in the latter stages, and despite the home side's struggles to add to the opener, the victory was secured in comfortable fashion.
Callum Mulvihill
