Monchengladbach Secures First Bundesliga Victory Without Kevin Diks

Borussia Monchengladbach has finally ended their losing run in the German Bundesliga 2026/2027. Without the presence of Indonesian National Team Defender Kevin Diks, Gladbach beat VfB Stuttgart 3-2 in the 7th matchweek, held at MHPArena, Stuttgart in the early hours of Saturday, 24 October 2026 WIB.

This victory is Gladbach's first positive result after opening the season with six straight defeats. Claiming three points away at Stuttgart also gave a much-needed confidence injection for the team that is fighting to escape the relegation zone.

Joe Scally, Shuto Machino, and Wael Mohya scored Gladbach's winning goals. Meanwhile, Stuttgart fought right until the final minutes, scoring twice through Ermedin Demirovic.

Despite securing the win, Gladbach still remain at the bottom of the provisional Standings. They have collected 3 points from 7 matches, 2 points behind the safety zone. Stuttgart are also facing a difficult situation after dropping to 14th place with 6 points, only one point clear of the automatic relegation spots.

Kevin Diks Absent Due To Personal Reasons

One key talking point from this match was Kevin Diks' absence. The Indonesian National Team Defender had featured in all six of Gladbach's opening matches this season, playing the full 90 minutes every time and even trusted to wear the captain's armband on multiple occasions.

Diks was not absent due to fitness problems. The club confirmed the player is in full physical condition, but was unavailable for selection due to private matters that were not disclosed in detail.

The club chose to respect Diks' privacy by not revealing further details about his absence. Under these circumstances, Gladbach had to contest this important fixture without one of their most consistent regular starters.

Diks' unavailability came as head coach Alexander Blessin was already dealing with a Injury crisis. A total of 10 players were sidelined for the match against Stuttgart.

The defensive line was particularly impacted. Ko Itakura suffered a muscle fibre tear, while Jan Leszczynski will be out long term after tearing the meniscus in his knee.

Gladbach Come From Behind After The Break

Gladbach did not start well at MHPArena. Stuttgart took the attacking initiative and opened the lead just five minutes into the match.

Ermedin Demirovic converted a pass from Dzenan Pejcinovic to put Stuttgart 1-0 up. This early goal forced Gladbach to work hard to chase the deficit.

The visitors only equalised in the 38th minute. Joe Scally converted a cross from Zento Uno to level the score at 1-1.

Gladbach almost turned the game around right before half time, but Wael Mohya's attempt hit the crossbar.

Gladbach's resurgence continued after the half time break. In the 51st minute, Shuto Machino scored after receiving a pass from Mohya, Putting Gladbach 2-1 ahead.

The visitors extended their lead in the 66th minute. This time Joe Scally turned provider; his cross was headed home by Mohya to make the score 3-1.

Stuttgart refused to surrender and kept pushing to close the gap. Their efforts paid off in the 83rd minute, when Demirovic met a cross from Jamie Leweling to score his second goal of the night, cutting the deficit to 2-3.

This goal spurred Stuttgart on to search for an equaliser, but Gladbach managed to hold their lead until the final whistle blew.

Upcoming Tests Await Gladbach

Victory over Stuttgart is an important foundation for Gladbach to turn their season around. However, their position at the foot of the Standings shows the team still needs consistent results to pull away from relegation threat.

Attention now turns to Kevin Diks' potential return. The Indonesian international defender is expected to be available for Gladbach's DFB-Pokal second round fixture against Karlsruher, scheduled for the early hours of Wednesday, 28 October 2026 WIB.

Diks' return will provide a major boost for Gladbach's defence line which remains badly hit by the ongoing Injury crisis.