Hannover’s interim head coach took charge of his first match for Hannover to begin Bundesliga matchday 29 and left Berlin with a 2-2 draw against third-placed Hertha BSC. It was a decent result for relegation threatened Hannover who still find themselves nine points from safety.
Striker Vedad Ibisevic put Berlin ahead in the 3rd minute and Salomon Kalou qualised for the capital club to make it 2-2 in the 72nd. In between, Artur Sobiech and Manuel Schmiedebach turned the game in Hannover’s favour for a short time.
Hertha’s lead over the chasing pack shrinking
The capital club missed out on an important chance to increase the gap between them and their direct competitors for Champions League football and will be looking over their shoulder at the chasing pack now. Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen who are both on 45 points will be able to move within a point of Hertha, who are on 49, if they can pick up three points this weekend.
The hosts started brilliantly in the Olympiastadion when Marvin Plattenhardt used the space he was given on the left-wing to cross for Ibisevic who turned the ball into the Hannover goal. The Reds almost replied straight away though, with Schmiedebach’s shot hitting the post.
Kalou rescues a point for Hertha
Hannover, who were coming off the back of five consecutive defeats, were positive in the early stages and deserved Sobiech’s equaliser. After Thomas Schaaf’s departure last week, former U19’s coach, Stendel, shook things up. For his first match in charge, Hannover’s 2002 promotion hero dropped a number of regulars to the bench and started 19-year-old Noah-Joel Sarenren-Bazee as well as several others.
Clear favourites Hertha didn’t create enough chances after their strong start. They attempted to attack throughout the first-half but the visitors were compact, organised and defended well.
Hannover continued playing posititve football after the restart and substitute Kenan Karaman took advantage of a mistake by Hertha’s defence to find Schmiedebach in space in the box. The former Hertha man placed the ball into the bottom right corner to give his side the lead over his old club. It wasn’t to be though, as a short while later Kalou equalised for the hosts after good work from Julian Schieber.