Gladbach sign two players

Borussia, who have shipped 47 goals in 17 league matches, said that they had signed Austrian defender Martin Stranzl from Spartak Moscow and Norwegian youth international Nordtveit from Arsenal.

Stranzl, 30, who has previous Bundesliga experience with TSV Munich, has won 56 caps for Austria.

Nordtveit joined Arsenal as a 17-year-old three years ago without managing to break into the first time. He captained the reserves in his first season as has since played on loan at Salamanca, Lillestrom and Nuremberg.

Gladbach reached the winter break with 10 points from 17 games although their only two wins were big ones -- 6-3 away to arch-rivals Bayer Leverkusen and 4-0 at Cologne. Their defeats included a 7-0 mauling at fellow strugglers VfB Stuttgart.