Goals from Didier Ya Konan and Mame Diouf were enough to overcome a late fightback from Gladbach and seal a win for Hanover.

In the 57th minute, Konstantin Rausch fluffed his attempt at a volley from the edge of the penalty area, but the failed shot became a nifty cross as it dribbled across the goalmouth. Ya Konan was well placed to poke it in past Gladbach keeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

The second left nothing to chance. On 76 minutes, Sergio Pinto's long ball from the midfield circle sent Jan Schlaudraff on a run down the left flank, where he found himself free enough to study his options, switch the ball onto his right, and deliver a splendid cross that Diouf hammered in with his head.

The second goal seemed to rile Gladbach, and the Foals got on the board in less than two minutes. Norwegian midfielder Havard Nordveit scored 18 meters on the end of a long run through the middle.

Marco Reus and Filip Daems went close for Gladbach in the game's final minute but Hanover keeper Ron-Robert Zieler turned their shots away from the goal.

“We didn't start playing until it was too late,” said Gladbach coach Lucien Favre. “We looked good over the last 25 minutes, but overall it was a strange match – not much pace, not many scoring chances.”

Hanoverleapfrogged four teams with the win, and now sit in fifth place on 41 points. Gladbach remain in fourth, ten points ahead of Hanover.

All even

Also on Sunday, third-placed Schalke came back to draw at Hoffenheim 1-1. Both teams wasted many good chances from open play, and had to depend on penalties to score.

Sejad Salihovic converted from the spot in the 30th minute, while Klaas-Jan Huntelaar did the same for Schalke ten minutes from time.

Both penalty decisions had plenty of detractors. Schalke keeper Lars Unnerstall appeard to have scarcely touched Sven Schipplock before the latter went down theatrically to draw a whistle, while Schalke’s Chinedu Obasi went down after minimal contact with Hoffenheim defender Andreas Beck.

“I don’t think he had to blow the whistle there, but these days in the Bundesliga you can get calls like that,” said Hoffenheim Coach Markus Babbel as he looked over the tape of the penalty call that went against his team. “It’s laughable.”

Moments later, he admitted to the reporter from the TV broadcaster Sky that the call that had gone Hoffenheim’s way didn’t look any stronger.

The village club, now on 34 points, stayed in 10th place after the draw. Schalke, on 54 points, trail second-placed Bayern Munich by six points, and top club Dortmund by nine.

Author: Matt Hermann
Editor: Andrew Bowen