On a night where shockwaves ripped through European football – where Manchester City’s Carabao Cup stranglehold came to an end, where Real Madrid drew, Juventus lost and Ronald Koeman was put out of his misery following another Barcelona embarrassment – it felt like a fitting evening for Bayern Munich to suffer their heaviest defeat in nearly half a century.
The Bavarian giants had not lost a game by a five-goal margin since 1978.
But, during a midweek trip to Borussia Park in the DFB Pokal second round, football’s all-conquering, planet-destroying Death Star imploded, shaking German football to its very foundations.
Gladbach raced into the lead with just two minutes on the clock, Kouadio Kone opening his account for the club following his £8 million move from Toulouse.
It was 2-0 after 15 minutes, 3-0 after 21, four after 51 and five before the hour.
And while it seems unfair to single out one player after what was an impeccable team performance from a side sitting 12th in the Bundesliga table, it’s difficult to dispel the notion that this was something of a coming-of-age display from 20-year-old Kone, stomping onto the biggest of stages while squashing Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka underfoot.
Is Kouadio Kone a future Bundesliga superstar?
While his rapid-fire opener set Gladbach on their way to a victory that will go down in Die Fohlen folklore, it was Kone’s overall display which really caught the eye; three tackles, three interceptions, six completed dribbles and an 80 per cent pass completion rate painting the picture of a man who can do it all on a football pitch.
But, if things had worked out differently, Kone might have been taking on Arsenal in the Carabao Cup this week rather than consigning Bayern to a historic defeat in the black and white of Gladbach.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Marcelo Bielsa instructed Leeds United to bring the then-Ligue 2 starlet to Elland Road in January after he caught the eye and the imagination during a scouting mission the previous November, only for Gladbach to blow them out the water with an £8 million bid.
“He is a huge talent who has been monitored by top clubs from across Europe,” admitted sporting director Max Eberl at the time.
“We’re delighted that he has chosen to join Borussia Monchengladbach.”
With their dreams of another domestic treble crumbling like burnt Lebkuchen, Bayern Munich may wish he had chosen West Yorkshire instead.
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