zürich hold mönchengladbach on favre return published: thursday 2 october 2014, 23.08cet fc zürich 1-1 vfl borussia mönchengladbach håvard nordtveit's stunner earned a point for the visitors as the spoils were shared on lucien favre's return to his former club.
by ian holyman from stadion letzigrund
• mönchengladbach coach lucien favre gets a point on his zürich return • franck etoundi gives the hosts the lead on 23 minutes • håvard nordtveit's stunning strike levels things within two minutes • home goalkeeper david da costa keeps the visitors at bay in the second half • next games: villarreal v zürich, mönchengladbach v apollon (23 october)
lucien favre returned to fc zürich on matchday two and guided his vfl borussia mönchengladbach side to a point in switzerland.
favre, who attained iconic status by winning two swiss titles in his time at the stadion letzigrund, watched håvard nordtveit cancel out franck etoundi's 23rd-minute opener for the hosts with a sublime long-range strike to give the bundesliga outfit a second successive group a draw and extend their unbeaten start to the season to 11 competitive outings.
the boisterous mass of green, black and white-clad travelling fans should have seen their team take the lead, but max kruse stabbed wide of an open goal before branimir hrgota finished poorly having swiveled promisingly onto a through ball.
instead, zürich – hitherto ineffective – seized control when marco schönbächler burst between two defenders and provided a low cross for etoundi to touch over the line. the hosts held the initiative for less than two minutes, however, as nordtveidt stepped on to kruse's pass before thrashing a 25-metre drive into the top left-hand corner.
powerless to prevent gladbach's equaliser, zürich goalkeeper david da costa had more than a hand in ensuring his team, beaten on matchday one, registered their first group stage point. he denied andré hahn, granit xhaka and martin stranzl – the latter's point-blank header was halted by razor-sharp reflexes – in the second half.
da costa's opposite number, yann sommer, was barely troubled, but had etoundi been able to connect from close range with an enticing schönbächler cross 15 minutes from time, the switzerland international and gladbach could well have been beaten.
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