Moenchengladbach in 2-0 win at Ingolstadt

Feb 26, 2017 - 7:30 PM Lars Stindl scored with his arm and Andre Hahn struck in stoppage time to give Borussia Moenchengladbach a 2-0 win at relegation-threatened Ingolstadt in the German football Bundesliga on Sunday.

Fourth-placed Hoffenheim meanwhile lost ground on the leading three with a 1-1 draw at Schalke.

In Ingolstadt, Moenchengladbach went in front when the ball came off Stindl's chest and onto his lower arm or hand before deflecting into the net following a corner on the hour.

Hahn then finished crisply from inside the area for the second right at the end.

Stindl's goal was controversial, with keeper Martin Hansen leading Ingolstadt protests, but the goal was allowed to stand by referee Christian Dingert.

The handball was clear, with Stindl's hand going to the ball and hitting it into goal, leading to a debate on whether or not it was intentional, or whether or not intention was even relevant in this case.

Stindl, who scored a hat-trick in Moenchengladbach's comeback 4-2 victory at Fiorentina in the Europa League on Thursday, was rushing in at the far post and had little time to react.

Oscar Wendt's corner kick on the left brushed the head of Ingolstadt defender Marvin Matip and then came off Stindl's chest before his arm, in a forward motion, knocked the ball into the net.

"I can understand the protests but it was unintentional," Stindl said. "I met the ball at the far post and it came off my chest and in a reflex movement onto my hand."

Ingolstadt coach Maik Walpurgis said: "I don't want to claim Lars Stindl handled the ball intentionally. He certainly can't do anything about it, but neither can there be any doubt that it was a handball and therefore a free-kick for us.

"In this constellation it is not about intention or not but about a handball yes or no."

Moenchengladbach coach Dieter Hecking said that had the referee asked Stindl whether it was a handball he would have expected the player to have said yes.

"We wouldn't have been able to complain had the goal not been given," he said.

"The (handball) rule is a bit soft and gives us the right to say it conformed to the rules."

The defeat leaves Ingolstadt second last on 18 points, six ahead of Darmstadt and two behind SV Hamburg, who were beaten 8-0 at leaders Bayern Munich on Saturday. Moenchengladbach are mid-table on 29 points.

In Gelsenkirchen, Schalke took a fifth-minute lead when Alessandro Schoepf turned in a cross from Guido Burgstaller before Hoffenheim levelled with a Sebastian Rudy header 11 minutes from time.

Schalke are 12th while Hoffenheim move to 38 points, two behind Borussia Dortmund, who won 3-0 at Freiburg on Saturday. Leipzig are on 48 points after they beat Cologne 3-1 while Bayern lead on 53.

Source: AAP