Ballack misery in Leverkusen's humbling defeat

Michael ballack was substituted just after an hour as Bayer Leverkusen were crushed 6-3 at home by Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Bundesliga.

Leverkusen had started with four straight competitive wins but never looked like continuing their run after teenager Patrick Herrmann scored twice to help Moenchengladbach into a 3-1 half-time lead. The score was 5-2 by the time an ineffective Ballack, the former Chelsea player who was left out of the Germany squad for next month's Euro 2012 qualifiers, was taken off in the 63rd minute.

Moenchengladbach went ahead in the 20th minute when Herrmann, fired into the roof of the net from close range. Leverkusen equalised four minutes later through Eren Derdiyok but two quick goals before half-time, from Roel Brouwers and Herrmann, put the visitors in command.

It got worse for Leverkusen when Juan Arango curled in a 30-yard free-kick in the 56th minute and, although Arturo Vidal converted a penalty for Leverkusen two minutes later, Mohamadou Idrissou quickly added a fifth. Marco Reus hit the sixth before before Stefan Kiessling pulled one back for Leverkusen.