De Camargo double helps Gladbach advance

Substitute Igor De Camargo struck twice in the last 11 minutes as VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach booked their place in the UEFA Europa League knockout stage.

When De Camargo trotted on with 16 minutes remaining, a cagey Group C encounter hung in the balance, but that was all about to change. First, AEL Limassol FC were reduced to ten men when Luciano Bebê brought down Patrick Herrmann and received his marching orders. Then, Juan Arango clipped the upright from the resulting free-kick, and that left De Camargo to take centre stage by latching onto Håvard Nordtveit's through ball and firing low inside the far post. His added-time header made sure of the outcome.

AEL had begun the game knowing only a win would do and they nearly enjoyed a dream start. From the kick-off, Bebê advanced straight up the middle, exchanging passes with Orlando Sá and springing a disjointed offside trap, but, with only the goalkeeper to beat, he was unable to control the return.

That set the tone for an open first half strewn with errors, wayward passing and a failure to capitalise on either. Mike Hanke and the excellent Alexander Ring provided obvious quality down Mönchengladbach's right, but it was the visitors who looked most threatening. Their best moments came from slips by home keeper Marc-André ter Stegen, most notably when the No1 came and failed to meet a cross just before the half-hour; Sá could not get over the ball.

At the other end, Matias Degra dealt with Ring's well-struck volley with more aplomb, his save more a testament to good positioning than reflexes. The home side picked up where they left off after the restart, with Arango increasingly influential as Herrmann twice wasted openings. De Camargo did not need any second invitations.