Hannover 96 2-1 VfL Bochum 1848 result, stats and report

Hannover 96 beat VfL Bochum 1848 2-1 at home despite being thoroughly outplayed for large stretches, with first-half goals from Stefán Teitur Thórdarson and Marcel Hartel proving enough to hold off a Bochum side that dominated the statistics but lacked the clinical edge to take anything from the game.

Hannover 96 did the hard work in the first half, scored twice through Lars Gindorf and Marcel Hartel, and held on to take three points despite a nervy finish against Karlsruher SC in the 2. Bundesliga.

Hannover 96 have won once in their last five 2. Bundesliga matches and cannot keep a clean sheet to save their lives. FC St. Pauli arrive in Lower Saxony full of draws and just enough to make this awkward.

Two sides with more questions than answers meet at the Betzenberg on Saturday. Kaiserslautern need to prove last month's 0-3 hammering was a blip. Bochum need to prove they can keep a clean sheet away from home.

Two sides who cannot string results together meet in Hannover on Sunday. Something has to give, but neither team is giving much confidence right now.

Nürnberg carry a perfect start into this Friday evening fixture against a Hannover side that has lost both of its opening games. The structural contrast between these two teams is striking, and it will define how this match unfolds.

Hannover 96 host Karlsruher SC on Friday evening with zero points from their opening two matches and a deeply concerning inability to win at home. Karlsruhe arrive in Lower Saxony with their own travel sickness, but the numbers tell a fascinating story about where goals might come from.