Lichte's bold reshuffle leaves Gladbach's next coach with a puzzle

Interim boss Jan-Moritz Lichte’s decision to ditch Borussia Mönchengladbach’s summer‑long back‑four for a three‑centre‑back set‑up against Mainz 05 proved the match’s turning point, sparking a flurry of attacks that produced the equaliser and forced the visitors into a 3‑4 home defeat.

Tactical overhaul by Lichte

Lichte’s first decision was to scrap the back‑four that had been imposed by the front office all summer. He deployed Kevin Diks, Jan Leszczynski and Ko Itakura as a three‑man defensive line against Mainz. On the flanks Joe Scally and Lukas Ullrich were pushed higher, while Philipp Sander and Florian Neuhaus operated centrally behind Franck Honorat, Hugo Bolin and striker Isac Lidberg.

Attacking surge under new shape

Ullrich’s advanced positioning paid dividends early, his shot was redirected by Neuhaus for the opening goal and he later beat Anthony Caci before delivering the cross that set up Lidberg’s 59th‑minute equaliser. Scally also helped build the second goal. Gladbach registered 21 shots and an expected‑goals total of 3.36, while Diks struck the post from the penalty spot as the visitors kept creating chances deep into stoppage time.

Lichte also reinstated Florian Neuhaus, who had not featured competitively all season, by bringing him straight from the stands into the starting eleven. The 29‑year‑old helped launch the first attack on the left and was the decisive touch on Ullrich’s shot, later supplying Bolin for another chance and firing a long‑range effort before being substituted for Wael Mohya in the 64th minute. “The reasoning behind Flo’s appearance was that we as a coaching team surveyed our options,” Lichte explained.

The defeat highlighted the defensive frailties that led to Eugen Polanski’s dismissal after three successive Bundesliga losses, a decision taken by sporting director Rouven Schröder following last season’s relegation battle. Lichte’s one‑match assignment left Polanski’s permanent successor with considerably more to contemplate than expected. “Those are the questions the next coach should answer after watching this game,” Lichte said when asked about his tactical changes.

Borussia Mönchengladbach remain rooted to the bottom of the Bundesliga table after four fixtures, still pointless and having conceded four goals in the latest match. The team’s defensive shortcomings persisted throughout, repeatedly struggling to protect their own penalty area. The loss extended a run of three straight defeats that began the campaign.

Lichte praised the analytical work done on Mainz, stating “For me, there was a lot that worked precisely as I had envisioned it. I think we were well prepared and knew what was going to happen and our players implemented them largely well for long stretches.” He added “We ended up getting scored on, but not in the way we thought we would.”

The result leaves Gladbach still bottom of the Bundesliga and forces the incoming head coach to address the defensive issues exposed by the three‑centre‑back experiment while building on the attacking impetus generated under Lichte’s brief stewardship.