The Bundesliga's Friday fixture is an eye catcher, as Borussia Monchengladbach host champions Bayern Munich (2:20 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+). ESPN's lead Bundesliga commentator Derek Rae believes Gladbach's return to prominence in recent years represents a true feelgood story in German football.
People familiar with this commentator will know that as someone who has more than a soft spot for the cathedral city of Cologne and all things Kolsch, I'm supposed to have enmity towards the local club's true football rivals. That would be Borussia Monchengladbach, a club full of history and tradition less than an hour's drive away.