Bundesliga side Hanover 96 on Friday missed a golden opportunity of going second in the league standings when they were beaten 1-0 at home by newly-promoted St Pauli.

Captain Marius Ebbers scored the only goal of the game in the sixth minute after Bastian Oczipka played a one-two with Fabian Boll and crossed to Ebbers whose headed past goalie Florian Fromlowitz.

"We made it hard for our opponents to get into the game", said St. Pauli's coach Holger Stanislawski. "And we're always dangerous up front".

Injury problems

Hanover, without injured Ivory Coast international Didier Ya Konan, spent the remainder of the game in search of an equalizer, but failed to find a way through the St Pauli defense.

Hanover was dealt another blow ten minutes from the end when Karim Haggui was sent off the field for a foul on Mathias Lehman.

The victory boosts St. Pauli climb to sixth in the table, with 10 points from their seven matches. Hanover remain in third place with 13 points. A victory for the club from Hamburg would have taken them past Borussia Dortmund to second place.

Must-win games

Mainz 05, who are the only undefeated team this season, are looking for their seventh win in a top-of-the-table clash at home against fourth-placed Hoffenheim on Saturday.

Defending champions Bayern Munich, who are in a disappointing tenth place, face a tough game away to Dortmund on Sunday.

Author: Nigel Tandy (dpa/Reuters)

Editor: Andrew Bowen