Greuther Furth remain without a home Bundesliga win after being beaten 3-2 by Hannover on Friday night.
The hosts deserved a lot more as Edgar Prib squandered a glorious chance before Mohammed Abdellaoue tapped in the opener.
Furth levelled twice; first through a fine Nikola Djurdjic effort, then through the same man after Andre Hoffmann had fired in a header from a corner.
However, Furth were not to get the winner that they deserved as Sergio da Silva Pinto arrived late in the box to fire low for the Hannover winner.
Read how the action unfolded with our live text commentary below.
Hello everyone and thanks for joining me tonight for the start of the weekend's Bundesliga action. I have live text updates for you from Furth as Greuther take on Hannover.
Furth are surely down, but it's not a certainty just yet. Their excellent derby win leaves them needing to overturn a nine-point gap to Augsburg in 16th to get into the relegation playoff place. So a minimum of three (enormous) wins combined with an Augsburg disaster and they'll have a chance of playing top-flight football next season...
Hannover's recent run of poor form has seen them in danger of slipping out of contention for a place in Europe. Certainly a defeat tonight would all but end their chances of qualifying. So both sides have much to play for - I anticipate an exciting game of football.
Before I waffle on some more, I've got the team news for you.
TEAM NEWS: Frank Kramer said in the build-up to this game that he could well pick the same XI that beat Nuremberg - however he has made on change. At the back Lasse Sobiech comes in for Thomas Kleine.
FURTH XI: Hesl; Nehrig, Sobiech, Mavraj, Baba; Geis, Furstner; Klaus, Prib, Park; Djurdjic
It was Johannes Geis who scored Furth's goal against Nuremberg, and it was a fantastic strike worthy of winning any game. In attack, Kramer saw nothing wrong so he's given the players a chance for back-to-back Bundesliga wins.
HANNOVER XI: Zieler; Sakai, Haggui, Hoffmann, Pocognoli; Schmiedebach, da Silva Pinto; Ya Konan, Rausch, Abdellaoue; Diouf
There are one or two surprises perhaps in that lineup from Mirko Slomka. Manuel Schmiedebach comes back into the team as does the Norwegian Mohammed Abdellaoue. There is also no Johan Djourou at the back.
In terms of the betting, Furth's win combined with Hannover's drop in form sees the hosts named as slight favourites tonight. They can be had at around 7/5 while an away win is 2/1. The draw is 5/2. Essentially: it's a tough call.
PREDICTION: Just as I say it's a tough call, I'm going to have to stick my neck on the line here. It has to be an away win for me, and that 2/1 looks decent. I think they'll take it 2-0. Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for your inevitable loss of money..
So not long until kickoff now and I must say I do expect both sides to go for it. Both managers said as much pre-game and I hope they put their money where their mouths are.
KICKOFF: Furth get us underway. Let's go!
Four draws and 11 defeats. That's Furth's record at home this season - they're risking becoming the only side that has ever failed to win a game at home in a Bundesliga season. They've started nicely with some possession football though, and huge credit to the fans who are in really good voice!
Now it's Hannover who pass the ball about a bit. It's all happening at the back though, they're yet to venture particularly close to the hosts' box. It's a less than attacking start, unfortunately, as both sides test the water.
Still Hannover pass it about. Ron-Robert Zieler, who looks to be sporting leggings tonight, comes out of his box for a touch too. Furth's stall has been set out to break, but a long ball down the left is too long for Park Jung-Bin to reach.
Hannover win the first corner of the game as Baba deflects Mame Diouf's attempted cross. From it Furth break and Edgar Prib is sent sprawling by Sergio da Silva Pinto to win a free kick. However, they can't create anything from the set piece.
Park is right back in his own box there, winning a goal kick off Konstantin Rausch - good defending from the Korean. They come forward again, Furth, through Felix Klaus, who cuts inside before firing a cross-shot across the face of goal and out for a throw.
Park is right back in his own box there, winning a goal kick off Konstantin Rausch - good defending from the Korean. They come forward again, Furth, through Felix Klaus, who cuts inside before firing a cross-shot across the face of goal and out for a throw.
MISS! That’s the best and the worst of Edgar Prib. He glides through about three tackles, before opening his body up and somehow clipping his shot over the bar! That should be 1-0. Sakai is then booked for hauling down Park.
If they're finishing like that every other week there's no wonder that their home record is so poor! However, it was a well-worked chance and will give them a boost despite the miss. They've started well.
Prib combines with Nikola Djurdjic, who then finds Park. The ball is crossed and Zieler punches, but it's not convincing and falls to Djurdjic. He cannot get his effort on target, though.
Furth defend well from a second Hannover corner and get the ball up the other end. Prib has two bites with a shot from outside the box - first his right and then his left - but both are blocked.
SAVE! It's become a little scrappy in the last few moments. Hannover are struggling to find red shirts with their passing and Furth win a corner with a quick break. From it Zieler hesitated and managed to claw away Klaus's header - great stop.
Furth win another corner, which eventually falls to Geis, but his effort from range is deflected behind.
They are ramping up the pressure, the hosts, and Mergim Mavraj meets the next corner but cannot get it on target.
Furth now are firmly in control of this. They are passing it around like a side 10 places higher and it's clear the confidence is building. Even at the back, as Mavraj does well to outmuscle Diouf to beat him to the ball.
Sakai is down and rolling around. And we can see why - that is a hhorrific challenge from Baba! It's horrible. A poor first touch leads to the left-back stretching for the ball and catches Sakai in the knee. I've seen those break legs.
Hannover have a free kick just outside the box. A training ground move gets Da Silva Pinto run and strike the ball but it's straight into the wall and away to safety. The visitors are finally coming back into this now.
It's still just the one real chance that we've seen so far. And what a chance. At the Hannover end, Diouf comes deep to win a flick-on header, before going for the return pass but a combination of Mavraj and Sobiech keeps him from breaking into the box. Both defences have been solid so far.
It's still Hannover doing most of the pressing in the last few minutes. They win another couple of corners but haven't threatened from set pieces as Furth have. Park gives the ball away to Schmiedebach, but Hannover cannot take advantage.
The Furth fans are still in excellent voice - they seem not to care that their side are effectively doomed to relegation. Park is receiving treatment for a knock he just picked up, but he should be fine to carry on.
GOAL! Furth 0-1 Hannover (Mohammed Abdellaoue)
That's the perfect example from Furth of how not to defend a cross! Sakai finds Ya Konan on the outside, who crosses low. It wasn't fizzed in and Sobiech should really be clearing it, but instead he misses and Abdellaoue is there for an easy tap-in. On balance, that's harsh, but you just cannot defend like that.
SAVE! It's a save, but it should be 1-1! Klaus finds Prib on the edge of the box but he finds Zieler when anywhere else it would have been in. That should be the equaliser.
If anything, the home fans are louder since the goal. It's the smallest ground in the Bundesliga but certainly not the quietest. As they chant, Hannover come forward again but this time Sobiech meets a through ball and hammers it back down the field. If he'd done that a minute ago it would be 0-0.
GOAL! Furth 1-1 Hannover (Nikola Djurdjic)
Oh that is a lovely goal! Djurdjic plays a one-two with Park on the edge of the box before leaving Karim Haggui on his backside with a dummy, allowing him to slot in for a very much deserved equaliser.
Furth have not let the previous misses get them down and for a side bottom of the league they should get a lot of credit for that! The unlikely great escape remains just about on for now! They are now on top of the game again and are looking to score a second before the break, but Haggui makes up for his poor defending just now with a great sliding tackle on Park.
FURTH SUB: Sobiech makes way for Thomas Kleine in a straight swap at the back. There must have been an injury.
HALF-TIME: Greuther Furth 1-1 Hannover
A really good first half comes to an end. It took maybe 10 minutes for the sides to size each other up but after that time the hosts have largely dominated. They've had three chances of the highest order, but have only converted one, while a slip-up at the back allowed Hannover in for the opener. It's level, but Furth should be leading.
I expected both sides to go for it and neither has disappointed. Furth are not playing like a side destined for the drop. It was a superb equaliser from Djurdjic as finally Furth were able to take a chance. Prior to the goal Prib had spurned two glorious chances.
Kramer has already been forced into one change - replacing Sobiech for Kleine, but I don't expect any more from either manager at the break. Furth can probably also count themselves lucky that they still have 11 men on the pitch as Baba's horrific lunge on Sakai was missed by the referee.
We're just a couple of minutes away from the restart of play, and here's hoping for an equally exciting second half. The Furth fans in the crowd look happy, and so they should be - they have played brilliantly so far and should really be ahead.
The players are back out and we're almost ready to get back underway.
A red flare is set off in the Hannover corner of the ground, and after a brief delay as the referee waits for the smoke to clear, we get back underway.
Nice, crisp passing from the visitors to start the half as they look to attack down the left, but Furth get it back and can now settle.
BOOKING: Stephan Furstner crashes into Diouf with a fine sliding tackle, but then at the other end Ya Konan goes into the book for a striker's tackle on Kleine. It was poor and he knows not to argue with the card.
BOOKING: Ya Konan is on the receiving end this time, and Prib is booked for his slide through the Ivorian from behind. An equally poor tackle.
The free kick from Sebastien Pocognoli doesn't beat the first man, but it comes back to him and a better delivery sees Wolfgang Hesl punch somewhat poorly, but Furth escape without a shot on goal against them. Hannover are the better side at the moment - Furth have seen little of the ball in the last five minutes.
Even though Hannover are dominating the possession, Furth's pressing is giving them little time to actually use it. Sakai looks to get away down the right but the ball to him skids through and out for a goal kick.
Furth are also dealing well with Hannover's crosses and balls into the box. I can only remember one header that Diouf has actually won tonight. At the other end Furth break but Haggui heads behind well from Nehrig's cross.
Baba and Park play a lovely one-two on the left and the Ghanaian tries to thread Djurdjic through, but his pass is just too strong for the Serbian to gather. Djurdjic then does get away down the right but cannot find Prib with his cut-back.
Zieler gets down well to hold a powerful low drive from Nehrig. The game has suddenly got very stretched in the last few minutes and either side could score - although Furth remain most likely.
CHANCE! Huge chance for the hosts! Djurdjic is played in by Furstner and is clean through. He goes for the dink over Zieler, but the keeper stayed tall and got his arms up to stop it. Great goalkeeping there not to go to ground.
CLOSE! Furth look to break when Furstner wins the ball and passes to Prib. He finds Baba on the left, whose cross from deep is met my Djurdjic but he directs his header not far wide. They're completely on top now, the hosts.
Hannover try to settle the game down with some possession football. Pinto puts the ball through the legs of Baba to Sakai, whose cross is over the head of the lurking Diouf. A better cross there and it would be 2-1.
The game has just settled down a little in the last few moments, that is until Sakai nearly gives the ball away and forces Pocognoli into a last-ditch sliding clearance.
FURTH SUB: Germany Under-19 international Thomas Pledl comes on for Park. Park has not been great tonight, in fairness.
OFF THE BAR! This is so harsh on Furth! The rain is really starting to beat down and Geis - who scored a belter last week - almost matches it with a free kick that hammers against the bar with Zieler beaten. What an effort!
HANNOVER SUB: Jan Schlaudraff comes on for Ya Konan.
GOAL! Furth 1-2 Hannover (Andre Hoffmann)
As so often happens when sides waste chances, they end up going behind. Schlaudraff swings in a corner and Hoffmann rises highest to thump a header in.
BOOKING: Schmiedebach goes into the book for a horrible late tackle on Klaus. There's absolutely no argument there - the rain certainly doesn't help make that kind of challenge look any better. How can Furth respond here after being the better team for most of the game?
OFF THE LINE! Fantastic stuff from Pocognoli, who has hurt himself here. Djurdjic plays in Pledl, who rolls it into the open net but Pocognoli is there to hack off the line. It just will not happen for Furth today.
Claim now for handball against Hoffmann. He maybe didn't get a touch but his arm was up like he was the goalkeeper! He should have a penalty against him for sheer stupidity. Meanwhile, Hannover escape another scramble in the box.
SUBS: Furstner makes way and Christopher Nothe comes on for him. Striker for a midfielder, then. For the visitors, Sofian Chahed comes on for Abdellaoue in the exact opposite move.
The crowd have finally quietened down, and it's probably because relegation is nearly official. If they lose here, previous results against 16-placed Augsburg will come into play and they will be down. On the pitch, the players continue to huff and puff.
GOAL! Furth 2-2 Hannover (Nikola Djurdjic)
Haggui gets booked for stopping a break and from the resulting free kick Furth are level again! It's terrible from Zieler, who loses the flight of the ball and ends up being beaten in the air by Djurdjic, who heads into the empty net. It's not more than they deserve; in fact, it's less!
If there is any justice in football, Furth will go on to win this. However, they're looking shaky at the back all of a sudden. Hannover work some possession but Furth look to break through Djurdjic, but this time Zieler is out to clear.
GOAL! Furth 2-3 Hannover (Sergio da Silva Pinto)
The defence parts for Djurdjic on the edge of the box. He shapes to bend it in, but gets nothing on it and the ball bobbles to Zieler. Right at the other end the ball is cut across to Pinto, who fires into the bottom corner for 3-2! There isn't justice, then!
Three minutes of time added on have been indicated. Three minutes for Furth to keep their ever so slim hopes of survival alive.
It's quiet now, as the game is fizzling out into a win for Hannover. Furth simply could not have done more, but will somehow leave empty handed.
FULL-TIME: Greuther Furth 2-3 Hannover
GREUTHER FURTH ARE RELEGATED FROM THE BUNDESLIGA
That's all there is from me tonight. Thanks for joining me for the action - what a game we had tonight! Until next time.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
