2. Bundesliga: Gindorf penalty lifts Hannover to victory over ten-man Darmstadt
| Photo by Selim Sudheimer/Getty Images |
A first-half red card for Aleksandar Vukotic proved decisive, with the hosts struggling to gain a foothold in the game after being reduced to ten men. Lars Gindorf’s second-half penalty ultimately proved enough to secure all three points for the visitors.
The first half began in hectic fashion, with neither side able to establish control. Hannover had the best early opportunity when Kolja Oudenne won possession and drove forward down the left flank before unleashing a shot towards goal, though Marcel Schuhen saved comfortably.
Disaster struck for the hosts just 20 minutes in as Vukotic was shown a straight red card. The defender was deemed to have intentionally handled the ball inside his own half while acting as the last man, leaving the referee with little choice but to send him off and reduce Darmstadt to ten men.
Hannover dominated possession as expected following the dismissal but looked toothless in the final third. Darmstadt, meanwhile, created the better chances before the break, with Noah Weißhaupt going close on two occasions. The forward tested Leo Weinkauf following a quick breakaway, but the Hannover goalkeeper produced a fine save. Weißhaupt then picked out Milan Smit with a cross moments later, only for Weinkauf to deny the striker once again and ensure the sides went into half time level.
Hannover finally broke the hosts’ resistance in the 57th minute. Marcel Hartel’s effort from outside the area struck the arm of Lance Duijvestijn, prompting the referee to point to the spot. Lars Gindorf stepped up and calmly fired into the bottom-left corner, beyond Schuhen’s reach, to give Hannover a 1-0 lead.
The visitors continued to pile on the pressure as their numerical advantage became increasingly evident. Mustapha Bundu came close to doubling Hannover’s lead nine minutes from time after Benjamin Källman broke through and laid the ball back to him, but Schuhen produced a fantastic save to claw the curling effort away from goal.
Källman should have wrapped up the victory in the 88th minute when Bundu turned provider, but the forward somehow lifted his effort over the bar from an unmarked position at the back post.
It mattered little in the end, however, as Hannover comfortably saw out the remaining minutes to secure a 1-0 victory and all three points.
