1:2 in stoppage time: Hannover 96 loses the opening game

Created: 07/15/2022, 22:58

Hanover's Louis Schaub is on the field after the end of the game.

© Uwe Anspach/dpa

Hannover 96 lost the season opening game of the 2nd Bundesliga by conceding a goal in added time.

In front of 40,579 spectators on the Betzenberg, defender Kevin Kraus scored shortly before the end to make it 2-1 (1-0) the winner for 1. FC Kaiserslautern.

In the 11th minute, Mike Wunderlich used a serious misplay by 96 defender Julian Börner to give the promoted team an early lead.

Kaiserslautern - But in the second half only Hannover played and scored through Havard Nielsen in the 80th minute to make it 1-1.

The new coach Stefan Leitl had brought the former Braunschweig player from SpVgg Greuther Fürth as one of eleven newcomers this summer.

The Norwegian was only substituted on in the second half.

Despite the dominant second half, this start of the season showed that Leitl's warnings were not exaggerated: This completely newly formed team still needs time to get used to the game, despite some well-known newcomers.

From the start, the Lauterers relied on fight and passion, which Hanover didn't like at all.

The guests had a lot more possession of the ball, but hardly ever posed any danger and made a few mistakes on the defensive.

This was also the case with FCK's opening goal, which Börner initiated with an unsuccessful back pass to goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler.

Terrence Boyd splashed in between and served Wunderlich, who pointed the ball into the empty goal.

At the age of 36 years and 112 days, the veteran Wolfgang Funkel replaced the “Red Devils” as the oldest league goalscorer.

In an intense game, both sides made their first change after less than half an hour.

At FCK, the hitherto very conspicuous newcomer Ben Zolinski had to leave the field injured, Kenny Prince Redondo came on for him.

Gael Ondoua ended early at Hannover after the midfielder walked on the verge of being sent off.

He was replaced by Fabian Kunze.

Hannover put a lot of pressure on in the second half, but it was not until the 75th minute that they had their first dangerous chance from a free kick by Sebastian Kerk.

After Nielsen equalized, Hannover was actually much closer to the winning goal than Kaiserslautern.

But the climber struck again late.

dpa