FIRST TEAM
01/21/2012

Hoffenheim and Hannover in stalemate

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim began the second half of the season with a solid home draw against Hannover 96. In a game of few real chances, Holger Stanislawki's side enjoyed good spells of possession, but came up against a stubborn Hannover rearguard.

TSG manager Holger Stanislawski named his two new January signings, Sandro Wieser and Stefan Thesker, in the starting eleven today. Midfielder Daniel Williams dropped into defence with Jannik Vestergaard to cover for the injured Marvin Compper. Elsewhere, Stani fielded an attacking line-up featuring Ryan Babel, Roberto Firmino, Peniel Mlapa and Vedad Ibisevic.

The whistle went to begin proceedings, and it was a reasonably quiet opening few minutes to the game. Moritz Stoppelkamp missed a decent half-chance for the away side when his shot wised when well-placed (6), but the first quarter of the game belonged to the home team. Ibisevic was inches away from latching o to a clever through ball from Mlapa (11), and was then denied by the outstretched boot of 96 keeper Ron-Robert Zieler, as 1899 dominated.

Neat build-up play

Hannover were looking rattled and the home side began to turn the screw, forcing their opponents deeper into their own half. On the half hour mark, they had a flurry of half-chances to open the scoring. A deep cross from the left was dropped by keeper Ron-Robert Zieler. Andreas Beck fizzed the rebound across the face of goal but the waiting Roberto Firmino was standing in an offside position. Then, two minutes later, Ryan Babel nearly played in Vedad Ibisevic after a driving run, while Sejad Salihovic shot wide from 22 yards. It was a bad miss from the Bosnian, who had ample time to line up a shot after the Hannover defence stood off him.

The home side were enjoying the better of the possession, and Daniel William and Jannik Vestergaard looked almost impenetrable at the back. Babel was also causing all manner of problems for the Hannover defence, drifting around the pitch, taking up some dangerous positions and drawing plenty of fouls from the Hannover defence. Unfortunately for Holger Stanislawski's team, they were unable to provide the finishing touch to some neat build-up play. Mlapa and Firmino were both caught offside at quick Hoffenheim breakaways, while the away side's defence looked equally comfortable defending on the edge of their box. The sides went into the half-time break with neither keeper having being called into much action.

Beck in the right place

The second half began with no changes to either side. Hoffenheim maintained their approach of patient probing play, but it was the away side that came close to breaking the deadlock in the early moments of the second half. From Christian Pander's inswinging corner, the ball fell loose in the box after Emanuel Pogatetz's header, but the alert Andreas Beck was on hand to expertly block Stoppelkamps's follow-up from seven yards (47). At the other end, Babel nearly found himself one-on-one with Zieler, but the pass from Mlapa was too heavy and the danger for Hannover quickly dissipated.

The possession statistics were slightly more even than in the first half, as Hannover began to find their passing rhythm. Christian Pander looked a threat from the left, his set pieces n particular, but the home defence were holding firm. Just before the hour mark, referee Christian Dingert gave a contentious decision that angered the home fans. Sebastian Rudy's long ball was seized upon by Ibisevic who managed to get the better of Cherundolo. Suddenly it was two on one in Hoffenheim's favour thirty yards from goal, but the referee blew up for a foul on Cherundolo, to the astonishment of Ibisevic and the 1899 bench.

Stanislawski made his first change of the game bringing on winger Fabian Johnson for Mlapa in attempt to add some more width to his team. But in a similar story to the first half, neither goalkeeper was really being tested. Salihovic had a free-kick from a dangerous position blocked by the Hannover wall, but the home side continued to be guilty of over-playing the situation, opting to pass when a shot might have been the better option.

Johnson comes close

The game entered its final stages and still the game remained low on chances. Then, in the 84th minute, substitute Johnson had a great chance to put his side in front. Receiving a pass in the box from Beck, the American international struck an early shot at goal, but Zieler saved well and held onto the ball with Ibisevic ready to pounce. The home were in the ascendance and looked like the team most likely to find the breakthrough. Daniel Williams, who had a fine game at centre back, embarked on a driving run into the Hannover half and was cynically brought down by Konstantin Rausch. Edson Braafheid curled the resulting free-kick into the box, but no teammate could make contact and Zieler had an easy catch. It proved to be the last meaningful action of the game as referee Dingert blew for full time moments later.

It was a solid start to Hoffenheim's second half of the season. His side drew a bank at home, but Stanislawski will be pleased with the performance of his injury-hit team, especially Williams and Vestergaard, who deputised admirably for the injured Marvin Compper and the absent Isaac Vorsah.

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