1. FC Kaiserslautern vs Hannover 96
8 : 15 shots on goal
1   : 6 corners
8 : 16 crosses
48% : 52% possesion
51% : 49% tackles won
23 : 28 fouls
3 : 5 offsides

Most shots on goal:
96: S. Schroeter (5)
Kaiserslautern: D. Halfar (4)

Most setups:
96: M. Tarnat (4)
Kaiserslautern: H. Altintop (3)

Most ball contact:
96: S. Cherundolo (93)
Kaiserslautern: I. Hertzsch (61)

Percentage of tackles won:
96: S. Cherundolo (71%)
Kaiserslautern: S. Blank (70%)

Source: IMP-Fussballdaten

The Reds suffer away defeat against 1. FC Kaiserslautern 0-1 (0-1) due to a weak performance in the first half, a goal through FCK's Daniel Halfar (39min), and a controversial refereeing decision. Hannover dominate the second half with advantages on possession and opportunities, but fail to produce the equalizer. The visitors are denied a goal in injury time: referee Guenter Perl decides on foul against FCK keeper Florian Fromlowitz through Michael Tarnat, and calls Thomas Brdaric's goal (90+1min) irregular.

Kaiserslautern's head coach Wolfgang Wolf saw no reason to change his team of young talents after last week's defeat against Nuremberg. Hannover start with one adjustment to the line-up sheet, head coach Peter Neururer placing Chavdar Yankov in central midfield position for captain Altin Lala, who is serving fifth-yellow suspension.

Hannover have an early first opportunity through Michael Delura from Michael Tarnat's free kick, but FCK keeper Fromlowitz defuses Delura's header from seven metres (3min). The hosts have an attempt through Daniel Halfar: the short forward beats tall defender Per Mertesacker to the ball and helps on Ingo Hertzsch's cross with a back-header, but Robert Enke in Hannover's goal is on his toes (7min). The match loses all momentum, and nervous Kaiserslautern battle with listless Hannover, the only highlight being Sebastian Reinert's attempt from the right corner of the area, missing the far post (28min). The Reds suffer the decisive blow when 18-year old Daniel Halfar wins the ball from Hanno Balitsch in a midfield tackle, hares down the pitch towards Enke, untroubled by his markers, and converts from 19 metres with a low-level left-footer into the right corner (39min).

Michael Delura cannot profit from Fromlowitz' bungled defensive header outside the area, when the Hannover forward intercepts the ball and lobs it over the FCK keepers head from 45 metres. Fromlowitz is beaten, but defender Axel Bellinghausen saves his keepers bacon, runs for the ball and turns it away from target (43min).

0-1

Both teams substitute during the interval, with Thomas Brdaric replacing Delura for Hannover, and Stefan Blank filling Bellinghausen's role for the hosts. And suddenly Hannover begin to play, with opportunities for Christoph Dabrowski from 13 metres, saved by Fromlowitz (46min), and Per Mertesacker, missing the right post (49min). Hannover are lucky not to fall behind further when Halil Altintop sends his sharp shot from about the penalty spot over the crossbar (51min). Hanno Balitsch cannot control Steven Cherundolo's right cross in promising shooting position, the ball bouncing off awkwardly (53min). The Reds still dominate possession but ease the pressure. Hannover suffer a final blow when Guenter Perl controversially calls a last-minute goal irregular, putting a damper on Hannover celebrations. The referee decides on foul against Fromlowitz, as the FCK keeper struggles with Michael Tarnat for a high ball outside his five-metre box, drops the ball, and Thomas Brdaric profits by nudging the ball over the line for the equalizer (90+1min).

A flattering home win for relegation-threatened Kaiserslautern, and position 12 in the table for Hannover are the outcome of a dissatisfying match. Hannover yet again only play one half with determination, and rely on their opponents' weak performances. Defensive midfielder Christoph Dabrowski misses out on the fixture against Borussia Dortmund (10th yellow card).

STATISTICS

1. FC Kaiserslautern: Fromlowitz - Hertzsch, Béda, Schoenheim, Bellinghausen - Reinert, Lembi, Engelhardt - Skela - Halfar, Halil Altintop - Coach: Wolf

Hannover 96: Enke - Cherundolo, Mertesacker, Vinicius, Tarnat - Balitsch - Schröter, Dabrowski - Yankov - Delura, Stajner - Coach: Neururer

Goals: 1:0 Halfar (39., left shot, assist by Halil Altintop)

Substitutions:
46. Blank for Bellinghausen,
52. Mikic for Reinert,
72. Borbely for Halfar
------------------------
46. Brdaric for Delura
72. Stendel for Yankov

Referee: Perl
Attendance: 35,325
Bookings: Mikic, Borbely, Lembi - Delura, Tarnat, Dabrowski, Stajner, Brdaric

A late equalizer cheats the Reds out of their first victory against Stuttgart since promotion to Bundesliga. With one player down (captain Altin Lala's yellow-red card, 38min), Hannover have to be content with the 3:3 (2:0) outcome of Sunday's fixture playing Swabian club VfB Stuttgart. A pleased crowd of 36,298 saw goals in an exciting match through Hanno Balitsch (2min), Jiri Stajner (33min) and Per Mertesacker (67min) for the Reds, and goals against through Danijel Ljuboja (52min), Thomas Hitzlsperger (77min) and Jon Dahl Tomasson (83min) for the visitors.

Head coach Peter Neururer changed his starting line-up on three positions. Vinicius helps out for injured Dariusz Zuraw in central defence, Silvio Schroeter replaces ailing Vahid Hashemian as forward. Coach Neururer relegates Thomas Brdaric to the bench and orders Michael Delura alongside Jiri Stajner. Stuttgart's coach Armin Veh sends Matthieu Delpierre to the defence line for Fernando Meira, currently serving fifth-yellow suspension.

Hannover get a fantastic start with a goal after 90 seconds. American international Steven Cherundolo sends his right cross into goalmouth, finding Hanno Balitsch, who stretches to the limit and kicks the ball in karate-style (2min), to celebrate his first goal for 96. Stuttgart are anything but shocked and press for the equalizer. Hannover's keeper Robert Enke has to show all his class, bending Silvio Meissner's header (3min) around the post, and defusing Danijel Ljuboja's headed attempt (6min). Another opportunity for the Reds through Christoph Dabrowski from five metres is saved by Timo Hildebrand in Stuttgart's goal (7min). The away team increase the pressure and get opportunities through Danish international Jon Dahl Tomasson (13min) and Christian Tiffert (16min). The game ebbs back and forth until Tiffert's right cross finds Thomas Hitzlsperger, but the former Aston Villa player is frustrated by Enke (26min). The Reds benefit from an individual mistake when Delpierre loses the ball to Silvio Schroeter on Stuttgart's left flank. Schroeter sends his right cross to Czech international Jiri Stajner, who coolly heads the ball into the right corner of the net, tricking Hildebrand to run for the left (33min). Yellow-carded captain Altin Lala lost his bottle after losing the ball to his marker and saw yellow-red after another unnecessary foul (38min). The Reds are about to extend their lead when Balitsch plays one-two with Stajner, but from seven metres is denied by Hildebrand (44min). Enthusiastic home crowds send their team with standing ovations into the break.

2:0

Stuttgart substitute in forward Mario Gomez for defender Ludovic Magnin. A sure sign that the visitors have some making up in mind. And they start with Tiffert's attempt from acute angle, who is denied by outstanding Robert Enke (47min), and with Gomez, who is also frustrated by Hannover's keeper (48min). Stuttgart's next attempt comes as a surprise, and unfortunately surprises even Enke: Danijel Ljuboja's lucky shot from 30 metres lowers itself into the net's top left corner (52min). Stuttgart is back in the contest, but the Reds are eager to extend their lead. German international defender Per Mertesacker heads at goal from a corner kick but his attempt is deflected only inches over the crossbar (66min). But the resulting left corner through Stajner finds its way home, as Mertesacker heads the ball into the far right corner of the net, jumping higher than defending Soldo and Delpierre (67min). Enke defuses Ljuboja's header (75min), but is surprised by Thomas Hitzlsperger's distance shot that squeezes itself between Enke's saving hands and the right post (77min). Hannover try desperately to hold on to three points, but their efforts are squashed when Ljuboja's left cross finds Jon Dahl Tomasson at the far post, who nudges the ball over the line (83min). Another distance shot by Brazilian substitute Cacau sees Enke well prepared (90min), and it's a draw.

There seems no way to beat Stuttgart, as the Reds draw in their eighth fixture with the southern German club since promotion to Bundesliga in 2003. Crucial for the match was undoubtedly the early send-off for hot-head captain Altin Lala, who saw his second yellow-red in the running season. Despite one man down the team around keeper Robert Enke, Hanno Balitsch and Jiri Stajner excelled.

STATISTICS

Hannover 96: Enke - Cherundolo, Mertesacker, Vinicius, Tarnat - Lala, Schröter (72. Troest), Balitsch, Dabrowski - Delura (62. Yankov), Stajner (81. Stendel)

VfB Stuttgart: Hildebrand - Hinkel, Soldo, Delpierre, Magnin (46. Gomez) - Meißner, Hitzlsperger, Tiffert (68. Cacau), Groenkjaer (89. Gerber) - Ljuboja, Tomasson

Goals:
1:0 Balitsch (2., Cherundolo)
2:0 Stajner (33., Schroeter)
2:1 Ljuboja (52., Gomez)
3:1 Mertesacker (67., Stajner)
3:2 Hitzlsperger (77., Groenkjaer)
3:3 Tomasson (82., Ljuboja)

Yellow/Red-Cards: Lala/ Hildebrand
Referee: Dr. Felix Brych (Munich)
Attendance: 36,298

Picture: O. Vosshage

Hamburg - Gladbach 2:0
Duisburg - Schalke 1:1

1. FSV Mainz 05 vs Hannover 96
10 : 14 shots on goal
4   : 9 corners
12 : 17 crosses
47% : 53% possesion
55% : 45% tackles won
10 : 17 fouls
9 : 4 offsides

Most shots on goal:
96: T. Brdaric (3)
Mainz: C. Casey, M. Thurk (3 each)

Most setups:
96: M. Tarnat, C. Dabrowski (3 each)
Mainz: A. da Silva (4)

Most ball contact:
96: M. Tarnat (106)
Mainz: A. da Silva (69)

Percentage of tackles won:
96: M. Tarnat (80%)
Mainz: N. Noveski (77%)

Source: IMP-Fussballdaten

The Reds meet 1. FSV Mainz 05 away, but cannot profit from a frightfully weak home side. Two efforts through Brdaric (12min) and Delura (82min) hit the crossbar, Mertesacker is denied a point-blank header (71min). The Reds drop to 11 in the table.

Hannover's head coach Peter Neururer includes both wing-backs Michael Tarnat (return from fifth-yellow suspension) and Steven Cherundolo (recovered from injury) in his starting line-up. Vinicius and Schroeter drop to the bench. The home side start with key player da Silva, plus Pekovic and Auer. Babatz and Ruman on the bench, plus injured Abel are missing on Mainz' head coach Juergen Klopp's team sheet.

Hannover seize the initiative and dominate possession right from the start. Albanian captain Altin Lala creates the first opportunity with his header from 13 metres, trying to convert Hanno Balitsch's right cross. But Christian Wetklo in Mainz' goal lifts the ball over the crossbar (8min). Christoph Dabrowski with a header helps on one of Michael Tarnat's feared mighty throw-ins, the ball landing with Thomas Brdaric, but the forward's header from four metres only drips off the crossbar (12min). Mainz have to reshuffle their defence line after captain Manuel Friedrich's substitution (bruised hip/18min) for Benjamin Weigelt. Mainz have one opportunity through Nicolce Noveski's header (28min), but the Reds continue attacking Mainz' area. Brdaric tries to convert Tarnat's left cross from acute left angle, but is denied by alert Wetklo (29min). Vahid Hashemian's pivoting shot from 12 metres is denied by Mainz' second, but by no means second-rate, keeper (30min), and Wetklo also successfully grapples with the rebound from Brdaric (31min). The disappointing hosts show no signs for reconciling grumbling supporters after last week's 0-3 defeat in Nuremberg. Former 96er Conor Casey, jumping high after Christian Demirtas' right cross, cannot place his bouncing header in goal, disturbing Robert Enke's peaceful afternoon only fleetingly (42min).

0:0

The home side start with a glimpse of determination after the interval, but Hannover's dense defence thicket helps for the match quickly to deteriorate. Spectators are startled from their gentle snooze after more than 20 minutes into the second half. Conor Casey picks up Pekovic's arching pass, the American shaking off his marker Steven Cherundolo in the process. But his effort from the left corner of the area only hits the outside net (69min). Hannover supporters almost have reason to celebrate, when Jiri Stajner at the far post nods substituted Ricardo Sousa's right corner kick back into goalmouth. Centre-back Per Mertesacker flings himself into the ball, but directs his header from four metres straight at Wetklo's saving hands (71min). This serves as a wake-up call for the Reds, even though Casey wins an aerial duel against Cherundolo, the ball only landing on top of goal (76min), and Noveski's header from da Silva's cross ending up a similar way (79min). Substitute Michael Delura helps on Stajner's left corner at the near post, his header hitting the selfsame post hard, with Dariusz Zuraw not able to benefit from the resulting confusion in the Mainz area when Wetklo defuses the Pole's header at goal (82min). No final rush to win the fixture up to the whistle, and it is a draw.

Hannover fail to secure the lead from many opportunities in the first half, due to harmless own forwards and a flawless Christian Wetklo in Mainz' goal. The Reds once again suffer from a lack of goals despite numerous opportunities in the first half, and can only chalk up one success from their last eight games. Alarmingly weak Mainz are flattered with clinging to one point at home, but are still threatened with possible relegation.

1. FSV Mainz 05: Wetklo - Demirtas, M. Friedrich, Noveski, Rose - Pekovic - O. Addo, da Silva - Thurk - Casey, Auer - Coach: Klopp

Hannover 96: Enke - Cherundolo, Mertesacker, Zuraw, Tarnat - Lala - Balitsch, Dabrowski - Stajner - Hashemian, Brdaric - Coach: Neururer

Substitutions:
18. Weigelt for M. Friedrich
67. Ruman for O. Addo
--------------------------
62. Ricardo Sousa for Hashemian
81. Delura for Brdaric
87. Schröter for Stajner

Referee: Graefe
Attendance: 20,300 (sold out)
Cautions: Thurk - Dabrowski, Hashemian, Ricardo Sousa

Hannover 96 vs ArminiaBielefeld
14 : 9 shots on goal
5   : 3 corners
18 : 15 crosses
59% : 41% possesion
48% : 52% tackles won
27 : 11 fouls
1 : 2 offsides

Most shots on goal:
96: T. Brdaric, V. Hashemian, J. Stajner, R. Sousa, M. Delura (2 each)
Bielefeld: M. Fink, R. Dalovic (2 each)

Most setups:
96: T. Brdaric, J. Stajner (3 each)
Bielefeld: I. Masmanidis (4)

Most ball contact:
96: P. Mertesacker (100)
Bielefeld: B. Korzynietz (60)

Percentage of tackles won:
96: Vinicius (80%)
Bielefeld: H. Westermann (71%)

Source: IMP-Fussballdaten

The visitors from East-Westfalia score an early goal against harmless and tardy Hannover through forward Fatmir Vata (5min). The Reds never recover and lose at home 0-1 (0-1) despite late attempts for an equalizer before time. Disappointed home supporters vent their anger at players even before the interval.

Hannover's head coach Peter Neururer was forced to change both wing-backs on his team sheet. Vinicius replaced Michael Tarnat (fifth-yellow suspension) on the left, Silvio Schroeter substituted injured American international Steven Cherundolo on the right. Host coach Thomas von Heesen had to make do without two top strikers, Ghanaian Isaac Boakye and South African Sibusiso Zuma. Heesen substituted injured centre-back Marcio Borges with Czech Petr Gabriel, Albanian Fatmir Vata was able to play despite flu.

Vata should have stayed home on sick-leave, as the short Albanian shakes Hannover's complacent defence lines and scores five mere minutes into the match. Ioannis Masmanidis plays one-two with Polish Artur Wichniarek and sends a sharp left cross into Hannover's area from the left penalty area line. Dariusz Zuraw fails to intercept, the cross lands with Fatmir Vata at the far post, who fools Vinicius and shoves the ball past Robert Enke into the left corner of the net (5min).

The Reds are shocked, and need about 15 minutes to recover. Their first on-goal attempt through Vahid Hashemian from 18 metres goes wide of the right post. Bielefeld meanwhile are busy to secure the lead and have a free kick through Bernd Korzynietz that misses the left post (34min). Hannover have one opportunity through Jiri Stajner's header from Hashemian's left cross (43min). No further attempts to level the result are awarded with angry disappointed whistles from the home crowds at half-time.

0:1

Bielefeld emerge from the break unruffled. Hannover's head coach Neururer replaces yellow-carded Albanian captain Altin Lala with Portuguese Ricardo Sousa. The substitution seems to lift the spirit of the home side, but the effect is short-lived. Bielefeld have easy possession through Hannover's sloppy passing. The visitors create opportunities through Wichniarek's volley shot (56min) and substitute Roberto Pinto's attempt that Vinicius luckily deflects to a corner (74min). Bielefeld's keeper Mathias Hain has a lazy Sunday afternoon up until Thomas Brdaric tries him with a header that Hain parries to a corner (85min). Hannover suddenly wake to a start and rush forward for the equalizer. Per Mertesacker's through-ball reaches Sousa, but the Portuguese shows some nerves when misplacing his left-footed attempt past the far left post (86min). In injury time Sousa's high left lob finds Mertesacker in goalmouth, but the German international heads the ball from four metres just over the crossbar (90+2min).

Bielefeld beat Hannover deservedly, and gain three important points to soothe their relegation fears. The Reds may have to bury their ambitions to enter any international contest after their poor performance. Most players on the pitch acted like shadows of their former selves against tactically skilful visitors. It is Hannover's second consecutive defeat after last week's devastating 0-5 in Bremen.

STATISTICS

Hannover 96: Enke - Schroeter, Mertesacker, Zuraw, Vinicius - Lala - Balitsch, Dabrowski - Stajner - Hashemian, Brdaric - Coach: Neururer

Arminia Bielefeld: Hain - Korzynietz, Westermann, Gabriel, Schuler - Fink, Kauf, Kucera - Vata, Masmanidis - Wichniarek - Coach: von Heesen

Goals: 0:1 Vata (5th, left shot, assist by Masmanidis)

Substitutions:
46. Ricardo Sousa for Lala,
66. Delura for Hashemian,
83. Stendel for Vinicius
-----------------------------
70. Pinto for Wichniarek,
82. Dalovic for Vata,
89. D. Kobylik for Masmanidis

Referee: Wack, Dr.
Attendance: 34,361
Bookings: Dabrowski, Lala

96 head coach Peter Neururer has to replace Michael Tarnat (5 yellow cards) on the left with Brazilian Vinicius. US American Steven Cherundolo probably has to sit out due to a strain calf muscle. German Sylvio Schroeter takes Steve's place right back if he can't play. Steve's situation will be decided on the match day.



Possible line-ups:


Hannover 96:
Enke
Schröter, Mertesacker, Zuraw, Vinicius
Balitsch, Lala, Dabrowski
Stajner
Hashemian, Brdaric