Pléa hat trick helps Gladbach rout Shakhtar 6-0 away in CL

By: The Associated Press Posted: 2:27 PM CST Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 Last Modified: 2:31 PM CST Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020

KYIV, Ukraine - Alassane Pléa scored a hat trick as Borussia Mönchengladbach routed Shakhtar Donetsk 6-0 away in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

KYIV, Ukraine - Alassane Pléa scored a hat trick as Borussia Mönchengladbach routed Shakhtar Donetsk 6-0 away in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/11/2020 (2152 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

KYIV, Ukraine – Alassane Pléa scored a hat trick as Borussia Mönchengladbach routed Shakhtar Donetsk 6-0 away in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The German club equaled its biggest European Cup away win from September 1970, when it won 6-0 at Cypriot side EPA Larnaca in its first game in the competition.

Pléa got his team off to a flying start in the seventh minute. Stefan Lainer crossed for the French striker to grab his first Champions League goal.

Moenchengladbach's Ramy Bensebaini, left, celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the Champions League, Group B, soccer match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Moenchengladbach at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

The visitors kept pushing and Lars Stindl went close before Christoph Kramer made it 2-0 with a shot deflected by Valeriy Bondar in the 17th minute.

Gladbach coach Marco Rose had evidently warned his team against throwing away a lead, as it had done already against Madrid, Inter, Wolfsburg and Union Berlin this season.

To make sure, Stindl set up Pléa’s second in the 26th, when Kramer let the ball through, and Ramy Bensebaini got Gladbach’s fourth in the 44th, when he persisted after his first effort from a corner was blocked.

Gladbach also missed other chances before the break, which provided welcome relief for the home side.

Shakhtar coach Lui´s Castro reacted with three changes for the second half, but Gladbach managed to slow the game down, conceding possession and looking for chances to hit on the break.

Marcus Thuram went close on the hour-mark, then Pléa missed another chance, before Stindl finally scored the fifth goal that had always looked likely in the 65th.

Pléa completed his hat trick in the 78th, set up by Thuram.

It was the Ukrainian club’s heaviest defeat at home in European competition, and it helped Gladbach get over some of the disappointment of conceding late equalizers in 2-2 draws against Real Madrid and Inter Milan in its previous Group B games.

Madrid was hosting Inter later.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports