Hannover prevail in Titz’s return to Magdeburg

There was a nearly a ten minute delay at the start of the game due to pyrotechnics by the traveling Hannover fans. The visiting players were also more lively than the hosts once the game restarted.

A long ball from the goalkeeper Nahuel Noll kickstarted the move that saw Daisuke Yokota round Magdeburg’s counterpart, but the Japanese winger somehow missed the chance to score in back-to-back games.

However, Yokota did score later in the half while Magdeburg had to play with ten as Tobias Müller was receiving treatment on the sidelines. Benjamin Källman unselfishly sets up Yokota’s fourth goal of the season in a lively first half that also saw Magdeburg’s Mateusz Żukowski fail to convert a couple of clear-cut chances.

Baris Atik leveled the score for the hosts early in the second half, but Hannover’s lead was quickly restored courtesy of a goal from Enzo Leopold. There were only three minutes between the two goals as the end-to-end nature of the game continued with both teams hitting the woodwork after the break.

Before the top four teams play their matchday 20 fixtures, Hannover narrowed the gap with league leaders Schalke to four points. It was a first win on the road for Christian Titz’s team since a 2-0 success in Paderborn in November. Titz’s former club could now drop into the bottom three after a first back-to-back defeat in the same timeframe.