Ko Itakura faces scrutiny after Borussia Mönchengladbach return

Japanese defender Ko Itakura faced a difficult return to Borussia Mönchengladbach following his transfer from Ajax. While his homecoming was initially met with great enthusiasm from supporters, his performance in the Bundesliga season opener against RB Leipzig has raised concerns.

Borussia Mönchengladbach lost the match 0-3, and reports from Bild suggest that Itakura struggled to provide the defensive stability expected of him. Analysts pointed to a lack of match fitness and playing time during his tenure at Ajax as contributing factors. Additionally, data from the match highlighted a significant gap in speed; Itakura recorded a top speed of 27.96 km/h, which was notably slower than teammate Daiki Hashioka, who reached 34.14 km/h before being substituted due to injury.