4/9/2006
hannover96.de

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).

Half-Time 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.

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
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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