- Andrej Kramaric - 16', 50', 86'
- Kenan Karaman - 24'
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 Munich | 15 | 11 | 3 | 1 | +34 | 36 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | +16 | 32 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 15 | 8 | 3 | 4 | +12 | 27 |
| RB Leipzig | 15 | 8 | 3 | 4 | +4 | 27 |
| Mainz | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | +8 | 25 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | +6 | 25 |
| Werder Bremen | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | +1 | 25 |
| Borussia Monchengladbach | 15 | 7 | 3 | 5 | +5 | 24 |
| SC Freiburg | 15 | 7 | 3 | 5 | -3 | 24 |
| VfB Stuttgart | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | +4 | 23 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | +4 | 21 |
| 1. FC Union Berlin | 15 | 4 | 5 | 6 | -5 | 17 |
| FC Augsburg | 15 | 4 | 4 | 7 | -15 | 16 |
| St. Pauli | 15 | 4 | 2 | 9 | -7 | 14 |
| TSG Hoffenheim | 15 | 3 | 5 | 7 | -8 | 14 |
| 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 11 | -15 | 10 |
| Holstein Kiel | 15 | 2 | 2 | 11 | -19 | 8 |
| VfL Bochum | 15 | 1 | 3 | 11 | -22 | 6 |
Bundesliga News