A Carnival of Own Goals in Gladbach (VIDEO)

Borussia Mönchengladbach 5-3 Hannover 96
German Bundesliga – 12.12.2009

When a team concedes one own goal in a match you’d generally consider it unfortunate. Two own goals in a match has to go down as a rarity. But to concede three own goals in one game? Well that’s just careless.

I just caught some Bundesliga highlights of Borussia Mönchengladbach’s 5-3 win over Hannover 96 last weekend and by the end of it I was chuckling away to myself in complete disbelief, as I’m sure the majority of Gladbach fans were too.

Hannover’s Karim Haggui scores two own goals in this game and sandwiched in between is fellow teammate Constant Djakpa’s own goal. All three of them are basically ridiculous episodes of misfortune, absent-mindedness and stupidity combined. Watching these highlights you do have to feel sorry for Hannover keeper Florian Fromlowitz. Having said that, seeing him beat the floor in helpless frustration after the third own goal trickles it’s way slowly into his net is the very definition of schadenfreude. Even Schulz’s goal to make it 4-3 is a farce.

Still, two own goals in one game is nothing compared to Everton’s Billy Balmer. According to The Guardian, at the turn of the 20th century Balmer once netted eight own goals all in one match. Nightmare.

Here are your slapstick comedy highlights of the week:

Borussia Moenchengladbach, German Bundesliga, Hannover 96, Jokeries