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 | 27 | 22 | 4 | 1 | +72 | 70 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 27 | 18 | 7 | 2 | +30 | 61 |
| VfB Stuttgart | 27 | 16 | 5 | 6 | +20 | 53 |
| RB Leipzig | 27 | 15 | 5 | 7 | +18 | 50 |
| TSG Hoffenheim | 27 | 15 | 5 | 7 | +15 | 50 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 27 | 13 | 7 | 7 | +16 | 46 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 27 | 10 | 8 | 9 | -1 | 38 |
| SC Freiburg | 27 | 10 | 7 | 10 | -5 | 37 |
| 1. FC Union Berlin | 27 | 8 | 7 | 12 | -15 | 31 |
| FC Augsburg | 27 | 9 | 4 | 14 | -17 | 31 |
| Mainz | 27 | 7 | 9 | 11 | -9 | 30 |
| Hamburg SV | 27 | 7 | 9 | 11 | -9 | 30 |
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | 27 | 7 | 8 | 12 | -13 | 29 |
| Werder Bremen | 27 | 7 | 7 | 13 | -17 | 28 |
| FC Cologne | 27 | 6 | 8 | 13 | -9 | 26 |
| St. Pauli | 27 | 6 | 6 | 15 | -20 | 24 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 27 | 5 | 6 | 16 | -22 | 21 |
| 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 | 27 | 3 | 6 | 18 | -34 | 15 |
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