Borussia Mönchengladbach can breathe a sigh of relief. Ahead of the derby against 1. FC Köln, the Foals won 4-0 at St. Pauli. Eugen Polanski remains level-headed and analytical.

It was an impressive breakthrough for Borussia Mönchengladbach. The Foals won 4–0 on the road at FC St. Pauli’s Millerntor Stadium. Haris Tabakovic scored twice in the first half (15th, 40th), and in the second half, substitutes Shuto Machino (75th) and Oscar Fraulo added to the tally (80th).

Eugen Polanski was relieved: “We’re obviously very, very satisfied with the result and the way the game went. Congratulations to my players and to everyone on my coaching staff. The game went exactly as we’d imagined.” The “notorious game plan” worked out perfectly.

Polanski praised the team at the post-match press conference: “That was a truly excellent performance over 95 minutes that we put in today. Defensively, we allowed almost nothing.” The substitutes also made an impact. Machino and Fraulo both came on as substitutes, worked hard both offensively and defensively, and rewarded themselves with goals.

“That speaks to the character of the team, to the character of the players, to work exactly where it counts,” Polanski enthused. “It’s also about showing the coach once again: Hey, I’m here. The fact that we leave our hearts on the field, that we give one hundred percent, is extremely important.” He seems to be able to connect with the team.

The 39-year-old emphasizes: “We’ve made good progress in recent weeks, which was evident to you in the last two games. For me, it was already evident before that.” Polanski underscores that the team is growing together.

However, Rouven Schröder did not give Polanski a job guarantee in an interview with “Sky.” Schröder dodged the question about Polanski’s future. For now, the focus is on the derby against their archrival, 1. FC Köln: “You can see that Eugen is connecting with the team. Now we’re focusing on the derby,” Schröder said after the match.

Polanski, too, immediately turned his attention back to the future. “It’s only logical that we want to build on this momentum right before the derby. The fans don’t need to psych us up at all. The plan for the week is clear: This is something special for this club, for the fans—and we’re giving it our all for the fans.”

This coming Saturday evening (November 8, 6:30 p.m.), the big Rhine Derby between Borussia Mönchengladbach and 1. FC Köln will finally take place.