Hanover, Germany (dpa) – Bottom club Hanover clung on to their Bundesliga lives Friday with a vital 2-0 home win over Champions League hopefuls Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Waldemar Anton and Artur Sobiech netted in the second half to earn Hanover just their sixth win of the season but one which was fully deserved against dismal Gladbach.
Hanover remain deep in trouble however and are seven points adrift of Werder Bremen in the relegation play-off place. Gladbach stay fifth having missed the chance to go fourth with a win.
League leaders Bayern Munich host Schalke in the Saturday late game.
Hanover knew yet another defeat would all but confirm their relegation but coach Daniel Stendel, their third boss of the season, was happy to trust youngsters Anton and Noah-Joel Sarenren-Bazee to boost the attack.
Roared on by a passionate home support celebrating the club’s 120th anniversary, Hanover did not let their fans down.
«It has turned into a fantastic atmosphere today and a fantastic result,» Stendel told Sky TV. «We (the coaching team) have a lot of desire and I hope that we show that to the team.»
Sarenren-Bazee threatened first with a shot off the post, though he was offside anyway, and later he forced a point-blank save from Gladbach keeper Yann Sommer.
In between Hiroshi Kiyotake volleyed over from close range when he should have scored as the hosts enjoyed the better of the chances.
The visitors looked anything but a top side in this contest and had only a low shot from Fabian Johnson, well saved by Ron-Robert Zieler, to lift their mood in a poor first half.
«We didn’t get into the game and were positioned badly,» Gladbach coach Andre Schubert said. «We should have been tighter to their players and harder in the tackle. We have failed to do the basics.»
Just four minutes after the break Hanover struck as Sarenren-Bazee raced to the by-line and his cross was fired under Sommer by Anton.
It was a fine connection but the Swiss keeper may feel he could have done better.
Gladbach reacted immediately by introducing Patrick Herrmann and Ibrahima Traore from the bench but Hanover remained on top and Sommer saved a shot from Kenan Karaman.
That merely delayed the second goal to the hour mark as Karaman turned to send a deflected shot off the post and Sobiech was perfectly placed to net the rebound from six yards.
Johnson blazed over a rare half-chance and Raffael’s looping header dropped just the wrong side of the post as Gladbach tried in vain to get back into match.
Herrmann then missed a free header from six yards in the final minute and Hanover could celebrate just their second victory since the turn of the year.
