There was no breakthrough for either side in the snow as Hannover and Frankfurt shared the spoils in Sunday's afternoon encounter
There was no breakthrough for either side in the snow as Hannover and Frankfurt shared the spoils in Sunday's afternoon encounter

Eagles fire another blank at Hannover

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Hanover - Eintracht Frankfurt made it 505 Bundesliga minutes without a goal after playing out a 0-0 draw with Hannover 96 on Sunday.

Pander's left peg

Alex Meier went closest for the goal-shy Eagles, but it was the tenth-placed hosts who arguably should have taken more from an open contest at the AWD-Arena.

Hannover eased out of the blocks, with Mohammed Abdellaoue spurning the first chance of note, rising above his marker to head Sebastian Pocognoli's left-wing cross over the bar. A couple of devilish Christian Pander free-kicks similarly had the Frankfurt back four at sixes and sevens, but Mame Diouf was likewise unable to apply the telling touch in front of goal.

At the other end, Frankfurt's Meier was beginning to flex his muscles in rather awkward conditions in the Lower Saxon capital. The towering forward's intuitive movement offered up a golden chance for Takashi Inui, who shot straight at Ron-Robert Zieler, before Meier himself saw a fierce effort deflected to safety by Sofian Chahed's outstretched boot.

Inui the instigator


Inui, too, was by now having a real influence on the game, but on more than one occasion his killer eye for a pass was lacking the end product it so deserved. It was then left to Pirmin Schwegler to deliver the final effort of a close-knit first half - a 25-yard free kick whipped harmlessly past the upright.

However, what the opening 45 lacked in pazazz, the second more than made up for in terms of goalmouth excitement. Hannover striker Mame Diouf kick-started proceedings with a deft touch and volley that forced a flying save from Kevin Trapp. Another Pander deadball delivery then found its mark, only for Schwegler to sweep Dider Ya Konan's effort off the line.

Meier the man


The spectators' cockles suitably warmed, the chances continued to flow as Bastian Ozcipka, Karim Matmour and Stefan Aigner combined to release Meier, who curled agonisingly wide from the edge of the area. The two sides were at last playing with an equal level of attacking purpose, with pockets of space now popping up at both ends of the pitch.

The introduction of Jan Schlaudraff offered Hannover further alternatives going forward, but Frankfurt were in no mood to leave the AWD empty-handed, with Meier's near-post clearance from Chahed encapsulating a dogged performance at one of the Bundesliga's stingiest venues.

Line-ups and statistics

Christopher Mayer-Lodge