Bayer Leverkusen Vs Borussia Mönchengladbach [1-1] Bundesliga 2025/2026: Early Kasper Hjulmand & Eugen Polanski Tactics – Tactical Analysis

Even though Leverkusen and Mönchengladbach are relatively close to each other, most fans wouldn’t call the game a derby, simply because it lacks tradition.

Still, this Sundays game between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach in the BayArena had a lot of eyes on it, but not for the right reasons.

On matchday four of the Bundesliga season, the two teams that had already changed their managers faced off, a sign that is usually not a good omen.

Home team Bayer Leverkusen decided to part ways with manager Erik ten Hag after just three games at the helm, following a disappointing draw against Werder Bremen. 

They then appointed Kasper Hjulmand as their new head coach, with the Dane set to enter his third game within the span of one week.

For Borussia Mönchengladbach, manager Geroardo Seoane was relieved of his duties just this week, also after a disappointing game against Werder Bremen.

After the 0-4 loss at home last week, Gladbach is currently on the search for a new manager, so at the moment, interim and former midfielder Eugen Polanski is coaching the team.

In the end, the game ended in a 1-1 draw, which doesn’t really help either team, considering their current league situation.

However, there were several things we can unpack with the two new managers.

In this tactical analysis, we will examine the new tactics Hjulmand and Polanski introduced to their Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach teams, how the game unfolded, and whether the teams can maintain a positive outlook for the upcoming games.

Bayer Leverkusen Vs Borussia Mönchengladbach Lineups & Formations

For Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Kasper Hjulmand decided not to change up much in terms of formation.

For his third game, he employed a 3-4-2-1 formation for the third straight time, maintaining the foundation that Xabi Alonso had established in Leverkusen over the past couple of years.

The personnel overhaul this summer was huge for the club; however, the team still has a very new look.

In goal, Mark Flekken is the new number one with Jarell Quansah on the right, Loic Badé in the centre, and Edmond Tapsoba on the left playing as the three centre-backs in front of him.

Alejandro Grimaldo captained the team as the left wing-back, with former Real Madrid player Lucas Vázquez playing as his partner on the right side.

The double pivot consisted of Aleix García and Malik Tillman, with Eliesse Ben Seghir and Ibrahim Maza playing as the two attacking midfielders for the Danish coach.

In the attack, Patrick Schick started for Hjulmand, this time without a partner up front.

For Eugen Polanski, changes were necessary, and instead of playing with the back four that Seoane installed in Gladbach, he opted for a back three in his first game as a Bundesliga manager.

Moritz Nicolas still got the start in goal, with former captain Jonas Omlin still on the bench.

The three centre-backs were young Fabio Chiarodia on the left, Nico Elvedi in the centre, and newly signed Kevin Diks on the right side.

The double pivot was occupied by captain Rocco Reitz and Deadline-Day signing Yannik Engelhardt, who came on loan from Como.

The two wing-backs, Lukas Ullrich on the left and Joe Scally on the right, were the two players who always started in the back four.

Jens Castrop and Kevin Stöger played as attacking midfielders behind Japanese international Shuto Machino, resulting in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

Polanski opted to mirror Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayer Leverkusen In Possession

Even though Bayer Leverkusens start to the season was rather disappointing, the team is coming off a 3-1 win against a strong Eintracht Frankfurt team in Kasper Hjulmand’s debut last week, so they were the clear-cut favourites in this game.

For Borussia Mönchengladbach and Eugen Polanski, it was more about getting traction in the season somehow.

After just one point in three games and without a single goal in the Bundesliga going into the match, Gladbach were very keen on establishing some form of stability for itself.

The start of the game was no surprise, considering these factors.

Bayer Leverkusen dominated possession, and Gladbach fell back frequently, refusing to press aggressively and instead trying to maintain their defensive structure.

Bayer Leverkusen displayed rather decent positional play in these situations, adhering to their formation and shape, while attempting to break through the lines in the half-spaces.

Unlike under Ten Hag, the formation was maintained throughout the game; Hjulmand abandoned the idea of frequent positional rotations.

The two