Alassane Plea
The French forward who scored eleven goals in the Europa League and a historic hat-trick in the Champions League for Gladbach.
Alassane Pléa joined Borussia Mönchengladbach in July 2018 on a five-year contract, arriving from Nice for a reported fee of €25 million. The French forward immediately made his mark, debuting with a hat-trick in an 11–1 DFB-Pokal victory over BSC Hastedt on 19 August 2018. He scored his first Bundesliga goal shortly after against Augsburg. Pléa flourished as the club's primary scorer, netting 15 goals across all competitions in his debut season and finishing with 12 league goals. His creativity grew significantly in subsequent years, highlighted by a stunning Champions League hat-trick against Shakhtar Donetsk.
- Position
- Forward
- Nationality
- French
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Pléa's tenure at Borussia Mönchengladbach began with immediate success, scoring three goals on his DFB-Pokal debut against BSC Hastedt. His first Bundesliga goal came on 1 September 2018 in a 1–1 draw away to Augsburg. By the end of that season, he was the club's top scorer with 12 league goals and 15 overall. The following campaign saw him add creative flair, recording eight goals and seven assists in his first 22 Bundesliga appearances. A pivotal moment occurred on 1 February 2020 against RB Leipzig; after opening the scoring to put Gladbach ahead 2–0, Pléa received two yellow cards and was sent off, yet the team still managed a 2–2 draw. He capped his domestic form that season by scoring his tenth league goal and assisting both of Marcus Thuram's goals in a decisive 4–1 victory over 1. FC Union Berlin on 31 May.
In Their Own Story
The highlight of Pléa's European campaign with Gladbach arrived on 3 November 2020 during the Champions League group stage. In an away match against Shakhtar Donetsk, he scored a hat-trick in a resounding 6–0 rout, which stood as the club's largest victory in competition history. His goal-scoring prowess continued into December when he netted twice in a 2–3 loss to Inter Milan on 1 December 2020. In that match, Pléa was denied a second hat-trick and an equalizing goal by the video assistant referee in the final minutes. Earlier, on 13 August 2021, he scored the opening goal of the Bundesliga campaign in a 1–1 draw against Bayern Munich, cementing his status as a key figure for the club before his departure.
Reader's Guide
Alassane Pléa arrived at Borussia Mönchengladbach on a five-year deal in July 2018. His debut match was the DFB-Pokal first round tie against BSC Hastedt on 19 August 2018, where he scored a hat-trick in an 11–1 win. He adapted quickly to the Bundesliga, scoring his first league goal on 1 September 2018 against Augsburg. His Champions League record includes a historic hat-trick away to Shakhtar Donetsk on 3 November 2020 and two goals against Inter Milan later that year. Pléa also scored the first goal of the 2021–22 Bundesliga season in an August 2021 draw with Bayern Munich.
Did You Know?
- Pléa scored a hat-trick on his Borussia Mönchengladbach debut in an 11–1 DFB-Pokal victory over BSC Hastedt.
- He recorded a Champions League hat-trick in a 6–0 away win against Shakhtar Donetsk, the largest victory in the club's competition history.
- Pléa was sent off after receiving two yellow cards during a 2–2 draw with RB Leipzig despite having opened the scoring.
- He scored twice in a Champions League match against Inter Milan but was denied an equalizer and a second hat-trick by VAR in the final minutes.
- Pléa scored the first goal of the 2021–22 Bundesliga campaign in a draw against Bayern Munich.