S. Storks
Advertisement
Full-time
90'
+ 4
IT WON'T COUNT
Karim Bellarabi runs free behind and clips the ball over Esser, wheeling away in celebration with his teammates, but VAR is on the line and says he was offside. The Leverkusen players are still celebrating as Hannover restart play!
90'
+ 1
ANTON!
Stripped of the captaincy this week, the defender almost comes up trumps for his side with a driven effort from the edge of the box, but it takes a slight deflection wide off a defender.
90'
INTO INJURY TIME
Hannover will have four minutes to find yet another equaliser. As it stands, Leverkusen are up to fifth...
90'
Substitution
88'
HAVERTZ THE HERO?
That could be the nail in the Hannover coffin. Kai Havertz and Julian Brandt exachange passes before the latter deftly lifts the ball onto the head of the former, and the teenager turns it home past Esser.
84'
BELLARABI!
It's the visitors on the offensive now as a cross from the left comes all the way through to Karim Bellarabi. The substitute just puts his foot through the ball - it's neither a shot nor a cross, and somehow the ball evades everyone in front of Esser's goal to fly out of play.
82'
HAVERTZ INTO THE SIDENETTING
Delicious play from Leverkusen to carve open the home defence, ending with Julian Baumgartlinger backheeling the ball into the path of Kai Havertz, but the teenager puts his chip into the sidenetting.
81'
LIGHTNING TO STRIKE TWICE?
It seems to be just about the only weather condition we've not had today, but maybe it just will. Leverkusen have already thrown away 2-0 lead once this season when they were eventually beaten 4-2 at home to Dortmund on Matchday 6.
76'
A MATCH FOR WEYDANDT?
The Hannover forward was playing amateur football just a couple of years ago, and he looks in his element here as he rounds Tah on the wing. In the end, his cross is cut out but the substitute is causing all sorts of problems now.
74'
HANNOVER ARE LEVEL!
We mentioned how much of a threat they are from crosses, and it's worked again for them here. A free-kick on the left sent towards the far post, where Weydandt heads the ball back across goal. Hradecky makes the save down low to his right but can only parry the ball onto his defender Mitchell Weiser, who unwittingly turns the ball into his own net.
71'
TAH UP
Leverkusen string a few corners together and almost make one count as Bellarabi flicks on Brandt's cross into the path of Jonathan Tah, but the big German is muscled off the ball at a crucial moment.
68'
Substitution
67'
HANNOVER PEN?
The home side are asking for a penalty against Jonathan Tah for handball, but the referee correctly waves play on to the benefit of Hannover, who quickly spread the play right to Jonathas, but the Brazilian is in an offside position. Dragovic wasn't to know that though as he slid across to make a brilliant block.
66'
Substitution
61'
GET THE BALL INTO THE BOX!
Hannover have scored a league-high 41% of their goals this season from crosses. Jonathas' header was their ninth of the campaign.
61'
Substitution
53'
BALL'S FREE!
One man you wouldn't expect to be too bothered by a little snow is Finland international Lukas Hradecky, but the goalkeeper comes out and fumbles a simple cross. Hannover legs swing at the ball trying to turn it home, but no one can make telling contact.
51'
HANNOVER BACK IN IT!
That's more like it from Jonathas as he leaps like a salmon above the Leverkusen defence to nod a Haraguchi cross past Hradecky and restore Hannover hope.
50'
JONATHAS THROUGH
Just seconds after Leon Bailey was through at the other end until the linesman's flag, Jonathas gets clear at the other but looks like he's running in, well, snow as he's closed down by Dragovic.
46'
Substitution
46'
WEYDANDT ON
Thomas Doll makes a change at the break with striker Hendrik Weydandt replacing holding midfielder Walace. Leverkusen are unchanged and still in their white kits. The snow is still falling but the penalty areas and lines have all been cleared (for now).
Kick-off!
Half-time
45'
+ 3
VOLLAND HAT-TRICK?
The German striker goes for his third with another lob over Esser, but he doesn't quite get this one right and the ball drifts wide.
45'
+ 1
INTO ADDED TIME
There's five minutes to be added on with conditions still very difficult.
42'
AND WE'RE BACK...
The action resumes at the HDI Arena. We've got a little under five minutes to go in this first half.
42'
PLAYERS RETURNING
The lines on the pitch have been cleared for the moment and referee Storks has summoned the teams back out.
41'
GAME HALTED
Referee Sören Storks has decided the snow is now too heavy so takes the teams off the pitch with five minutes remaining in the first half as the pitch is cleared again.
33'
OH NO HANNOVER!
This could be the shot to sum up Hannover's Bundesliga season. Genki Haraguchi does superbly well to get onto a long ball and round Hradecky. He looks to roll the ball over the line but it stops in the snow just inches in front of the goal! The Japan international had already wheeled away in celebration before Tah cleared the stationary ball away from danger.
28'
VOLLAND AT THE DOUBLE
Hannover boss Thomas Doll is livid down on the touchline. His team have just handed possession to Leverkusen deep inside their own half, Brandt has slipped in Volland, and the Bayer skipper decides not to risk the ball not rolling over the line so chips Esser from 20 yards to double the visitors' lead.
25'
BRUSHES AT THE READY
The groundstaff at the HDI Arena have been sent to collect their brushes and are now clearing the snow off the lines on the pitch so the players and officials can see where they are. Kevin Volland even lending a helping hand to remove some excess snow.
20'
CONDITIONS PLAYING THEIR PART
The snow means the ball isn't rolling as you'd expect and it almost works out in Leverkusen's favour as Walace is caught short by a pass that holds up in the turf, allowing Havertz to sneek in and get the ball into the box. Volland's shot is initially blocked but Bailey can recover possession with the ball not rolling out of play. The Jamaican crosses back into the middle, but Volland misses his acrobatic effort.
18'
TIME FOR THE CONES
The snow is still falling and really beginning to stick now. To go with the orange ball we've now got yellow cones being places around the pitch to help recognise the white lines.
12'
A SIMPLE TAP IN
Disaster for Hannover as Esser fails to hold onto a Havertz shot from close range and Kevin Volland is there to simply roll the ball over the line for his 10th of the season.
10'
WINTER BALL!
Did anyone expect to be seeing the orange winter ball in March? Well it's just been wheeled out in Hanover with the snow continuing to fall.
9'
HANNOVER HERE TO PLAY
The home side are not lying down here, they're looking to take the game to Leverkusen. First Linton Maina drives at the defence, striker Jonathas eventually winning a corner after some dogged work up against Tah. The ball into the box after that almost trickles into the Bayer goal off the body of the Jonathas.
6'
BAILEYYYYYYY!!!
Without doubt this would've been goal of the season but in reality the Jamaican's audacious effort from the halfway line flew well, well wide of the Hannover goal. An interesting option in any case with Michael Esser not that far off his line.
3'
HANNOVER BREAK ... SORT OF
Leverkusen quickly earn a corner as they start the game on the front foot, but it's cleared and Leon Bailey is dispossessed by Julian Korb who looks to break forward. Reinforcements are slow in arriving and his attempt to spread the play is quickly cut out.
Kick-off!
HERE COME THE TEAMS
The team mascots don't look to impressed by the March snow, but the teams are out on the pitch at the HDI Arena. Kick-off just moments away...
TOUGH CONDITIONS
Like it was at Dortmund yesterday, the weather is going to make things tough today in Hanover. It's windy, raining, hailing, everthing you can imagine to make conditions difficult. Could that in fact suit the home side against this free-flowing Leverkusne side?
SOME MILESTONES
Hannover defender Kevin Wimmer makes his 50th Bundesliga appearance today. His opposite number Jonathan Tah is playing his 100th Bundesliga match for Leverkusen, while this is Tin Jedvaj’s 100th game in all competitions for the club.
LEVERKUSEN XI
Hradecky - Weiser, Tah, Dragovic, Jedvaj - Aranguiz, Baumgartlinger - Havertz, Brandt, Bailey - Volland (c)
HANNOVER XI
Esser – Korb, Anton, Wimmer, Albornoz – Haraguchi, Bakalorz (c), Walace, Schwegler, Maina – Jonathas
Welcome along to the match centre for the game Hannover vs. Leverkusen from matchday 25 of the 2018/19 Bundesliga season at the HDI Arena. Check back here for full information on the match.