Home win! TSG triumph over Hannover
Personnel and line-up:
Head coach Huub Stevens made two changes to the starting XI, with Jonathan Schmid replacing the injured Steven Zuber and Pavel Kaderabek getting the nod ahead of Eugen Polanski.
Stevens sent his team out onto the pitch in the following formation. Kevin Volland up top, supported by Schmid, Nadiem Amiri and Tarik Elyounoussi. Behind these attacking players, captain Pirmin Schwegler and Strobl made up the double defensive midfield partnership. The back four in front of keeper Oliver Baumann consisted of Pavel Kaderabek, Fabian Schär, Niklas Süle and Jin-Su Kim.
When defending, TSG reverted to the familiar 4-4-2. Amiri shifted forward alongside Volland, with Schmid and Elyounoussi dropping back next to the defensive midfielders. The substitution of Eduardo Vargas in the 65th minute in place of Kevin Volland changed nothing from a tactical point of view. The team became more defensive towards the end, with Polanski and Bicakcic coming on for Amiri and Schwegler. The captain was forced off through injury.
The moment of the match:
Full time. The noise in the stadium. The feeling of a heavy weight being lifted from everyone’s shoulders. The first home win, on matchday 16 – the last match here before Christmas. A special moment thanks to the TSG fans, who gave their all for 90 minutes.
The number(s) of the match: 1 & 3
For the 1st time in the season, TSG get 3 points in front of a home crowd. They now have 13 points on the board.