Borussia Dortmund heaped the pressure on Hannover coach Tayfun Korkut yesterday with a 3-2 win at the Niedersachsenstadion which revives their own hopes of qualifying for Europe next season.
– Fernando Torres breaks La Liga drought in Atletico win
– #Quiz360: WIN a group paintball session at Zayed Sports City
– EPL round-up: Man City bounce back, Kane inspires Spurs
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was on target twice for Jurgen Klopp’s men, who were knocked out of the Champions League by Juventus on Wednesday.
Shinji Kagawa netted their other goal with Lars Stindl bringing the hosts level until shortly after they lost Leonardo Bittencourt to a red card.
.@stindl28: MotM vs Borussia Dortmund, Rating 8.40, Goals 2, Shots 3, Key Passes 2 @Hannover96 pic.twitter.com/7br0JkzTRW
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) March 21, 2015
With only 10 men, the Reds capitulated, extending their wait for a first win in 2015 and plunging even closer to the relegation zone.
The visitors took the lead with Marco Reus sending the ball into a place only the pacey Aubameyang could get to and he slotted his shot past Ron-Robert Zieler.
Hannover responded well, forcing Dortmund onto the back foot and levelling after half an hour. Bittencourt sent in a low cross from the left and Stindl converted from close to the penalty spot.
In the second half, a second yellow card for Bittencourt complicated matters for the hosts and Dortmund made the most of the advantage.
Reus was the provider once again, squaring for Kagawa who stuck a foot out to turn the ball in from close range. The game seemed to be over four minutes later when Kagawa lifted the ball into the area and Aubameyang added Dortmund’s third with a diving header.
Hannover did not throw in the towel, though, and Stindl reduced the arrears with a stunning strike.
Meanwhile, Schalke face an uphill struggle to qualify for the Champions League next season after falling to a 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen. Karim Bellarabi’s goal 10 minutes before half-time was enough to earn all three points.