Hoffenheim v Hannover
Andrej Kramaric hat trick lifts Hoffenheim into top four
Andrej Kramaric scored a brilliant hat trick as Hoffenheim moved into the Champions League places with a 3-1 victory over Hannover.
Julian Nagelsmann's team won a third straight Bundesliga game to move into the top four ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, who can regain fourth spot with a victory over Stuttgart on Saturday.
It was Croatian Kramaric who opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Salif Sane's woeful back-pass was seized upon by Serge Gnabry, allowing him to present Kramaric with a tap-in.
The visitors replied soon after, though, as ex-Hoffenheim midfielder Pirmin Schwegler squared for Kenan Karaman to level.
Ex-Leicester striker Kramaric restored Hoffenheim's lead after the break, having been left all alone to drive home an unstoppable right-footed volley direct from Kerem Demirbay's corner.
And Kramaric wrapped up the victory four minutes from time by collecting a long clearance on his chest and lifting over goalkeeper Philipp Tschauner from 25 yards out after the keeper had been caught off his line.
Game Information
German Bundesliga Standings
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayern München | 21 | 17 | 3 | 1 | +60 | 54 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 21 | 14 | 6 | 1 | +23 | 48 |
| TSG Hoffenheim | 21 | 13 | 3 | 5 | +16 | 42 |
| RB Leipzig | 21 | 12 | 3 | 6 | +12 | 39 |
| VfB Stuttgart | 21 | 12 | 3 | 6 | +10 | 39 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 20 | 11 | 3 | 6 | +12 | 36 |
| SC Freiburg | 21 | 8 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 30 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 21 | 7 | 7 | 7 | -5 | 28 |
| 1. FC Union Berlin | 21 | 6 | 7 | 8 | -8 | 25 |
| FC Cologne | 21 | 6 | 5 | 10 | -4 | 23 |
| Hamburg SV | 20 | 5 | 7 | 8 | -8 | 22 |
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | 21 | 5 | 7 | 9 | -9 | 22 |
| FC Augsburg | 21 | 6 | 4 | 11 | -15 | 22 |
| Mainz | 21 | 5 | 6 | 10 | -8 | 21 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 21 | 5 | 4 | 12 | -15 | 19 |
| Werder Bremen | 21 | 4 | 7 | 10 | -17 | 19 |
| St. Pauli | 21 | 4 | 5 | 12 | -15 | 17 |
| 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 14 | -28 | 13 |
Bundesliga News