19-year-old Lászlo Bénés marked his first Borussia Mönchengladbach start with a goal as they returned to winning ways against Hertha BSC.

It was the seventh match in succession that the capital club had lost on the road, with the superb strike from Bénés all Gladbach needed to inflict it on them.

They wasted many good opportunities in the second half, but the win was enough to take them back into top half of the Bundesliga, four points behind Hertha in sixth, the last guaranteed European spot.

Three enforced changes each

Gladbach’s push up the table had stalled over the past few weeks, however after two defeats they clung on for a goalless draw at Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend. After losing to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Friday, Hertha were looking to reignite their own European challenge, but hadn’t won away since December.

Both sides were forced into making three changes each. For the Foals, Tony Jantschke had a muscle problem, Tobias Strobl was suspended after his red card against Frankfurt and Raffael was celebrating becoming a father to twins. Nico Elvedi, Bénés and Patrick Herrmann came in.

Hertha were without the injured John Anthony Brooks and the suspended duo of Maximilian Mittelstädt and Vedad Ibisevic. Jordan Torunarigha was given a first start at left-back, with Valentin Stocker and Genki Haraguchi recalled as well.

Bénés announces his arrival in fine style

The home side started on the front foot, and Thorgan Hazard should have scored in the first minute after being found by Jonas Hofmann, however the young Torunarigha did enough to distract him.

It was another youngster who did put Gladbach ahead. Bénés lit up Borussia-Park with an excellent strike, beating Rune Jarstein from outside the box with a low shot. It was his first goal for the club in just his second appearance after arriving from MSK Zilina in the summer.

Hertha came more into the game after that. After scoring his first Bundesliga goal on Friday, Peter Pekarík nearly had another but was denied by Yann Sommer. Alexander Esswein had the perfect chance to equalise on the break, yet he failed to test Sommer with his shot. Oscar Wendt also had a shot wide at the other end.

The visitors though came within inches of an equaliser deep into first half stoppage time. Sommer could only watch as Salomon Kalou put his free-kick over the wall and into the crossbar and Gladbach were able to take their lead into the break.

Gladbach wasteful but Hertha rarely threaten to punish them

They then had plenty of chances to extend it in the second half, but it just wouldn’t come. Lars Stindl had the best chance go wide after his shot on the turn, and Kalou almost punished them for their wastage but his header from Esswein’s cross was wide.

Jonas Hofmann hasn’t scored this season and after then hitting each post within the matter of a minute he’ll be wondering if his luck will ever come back. For the first Hazard flicked on a long ball, with Hofmann striking into the near, left post. He then beat Jarstein, but not the right post, from outside the box, that coming after an unmarked Jannik Vestergaard had scuffed his attempt from a Wendt corner.

Gladbach kept pushing. Hazard ended a good period of possession with a shot straight at Jarstein, before he fired high after a clever chest and overhead kick from Vestergaard. Fortunately for them, they were not having to do much defending with Hertha offering little.

One big chance did come their way to snatch an unlikely point from this poor performance. Despite several opportunities Gladbach couldn’t clear their lines following a corner, and a header from 17-year-old substitute Julius Kade set up Stocker, who couldn’t get the ball the right side of the post.

Hofmann nearly found André Hahn on the counter for a chance to settle it deep into added time, but Per Ciljan Skjelbred intercepted. For Hertha though it was only the difference between losing 2-0 and losing 1-0, either way a seventh-consecutive defeat on the road.