Monchengladbach 3 - 2 Darmstadt: Ten-man Gladbach hit back to deny Darmstadt

Ten-man Borussia Monchengladbach saw off Darmstadt in a five goal thriller to go into the winter break in fourth place in the Bundesliga.

Marcel Heller gave Darmstadt the lead before Gladbach captain Granit Xhaka was given his marching orders in the 38th minute.

Lars Stindl brought the hosts level before half-time and Havard Nordtveit put them in front for the first time early in the second half.

Sandro Wagner equalised for Darmstadt, but Oscar Wendt had the final say for the Foals.

A throw-in was flicked on by Wagner and Heller ghosted in unmarked to head Darmstadt in front against the early run of play in the 28th minute.

Things got worse for the hosts when Xhaka kicked out at Peter Niemeyer after the Darmstadt man first held his opponent back then tried to race past him and, after consulting with his assistant, the referee showed the Swiss midfielder his third red card of the season.

Gladbach reorganised and hit back a minute before the interval, Stindl netting his fifth of the campaign.

He picked up Luca Caldirola's clearance just outside the area and curled his shot wide of Christian Mathenia into the left-hand corner.

Nordtveit then bent a free-kick over the wall to beat Mathenia at his near post and give Gladbach the lead early in the second half.

A Wagner header was saved by Yann Sommer, but Gladbach failed to heed the warning, leaving Wagner unmarked again to head in Heller's cross and made it 2-2.

But in the 86th minute substitute Wendt burst through and turned Stindl's delicate pass past Mathenia to settle the contest.