No winner in the top match between Hamburg and Hannover 96. The hosts were the better team in the first 45 minutes and deserved the lead through Hefti, with Hannover rarely featuring in attack. After the break, the visitors came into the match better. This was partly due to André Breitenreiter bringing on Rabbi Matondo, who changed the game. The new signing visibly enlivened the game and scored to make it 2-1 for the visitors after Tresoldi's equaliser. Dompé secured the draw with a perfect free kick just minutes later.

There will be an additional four minutes of stoppage time.

All things considered, the 2-2 scoreline is fair so far.

Dehm already had to be treated after a blow to the head in the first half. This time it's Neumann who takes a free kick from Dompé to the head. However, play continues.

Hannover makes one change for the second half. New signing Matondo comes on for Wdowik.

The hosts go into the break with a deserved lead. After a lively start, the Red Shorts increasingly took the initiative, were the better team and worked hard for the 1-0 through Hefti. Even after the goal, the hosts continued to set the tone but weren't clinical enough with their chances.

There are two minutes of stoppage time.

We're underway. Hannover kick off.

80 years ago, on 27 January 1945, the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp was liberated. German football has been commemorating this event for more than 20 years, remembering the people persecuted, deported and murdered by the Nazis on match days in and around 27 January.

HSV newcomer Adedire Mebude is in the squad for the first time, as is Rabbi Matondo for Hannover.

Due to numerous absentees, Milad Nejad and Joel Agyekum are included in the HSV squad for the first time.

For HSV, it's about nothing less than the top of the table. With a victory, the Red Shorts would overtake FC again, but the Lower Saxony-based side could draw level with HSV if they secure all three points.

André Breitenreiter also has to change his starting formation. Jessic Ngankam is suspended while Sei Muroya is carrying a knock. Havard Nielsen and Jannik Dehm are the new additions to the team in their place.

With Miro Muheim suspended, Hefti moves into the starting lineup. Ransford Königsdörffer starts in place of the injured Davie Selke.

Zieler - Neumann, Tomiak, Halstenberg - Dehm, F. Kunze, Wdowik, Leopold, Rochelt - Nielsen, Tresoldi

Heuer Fernandes - Hefti, Hadžikadunić, Elfadli, Mikelbrencis - Meffert, Karabec, Richter - Sahiti, Königsdörffer, Dompé

"We want to play forward there, push into the spaces and hurt the opponent. By creating scoring opportunities and scoring goals. We are aware of the quality that we will face. We need to defend very well for 90 minutes."

"Our goal is to win this match, even though some players are unavailable to us. This shouldn't be seen as complaining, because we're really up for this game, the stadium is full, and training has been intense this week. Nevertheless, the team also has a good sense of ease, which is important. We want to bring a style of football to the pitch that makes us successful, and we work on that every day."

The 26-year-old Lucas Perrin joins Belgian top-flight club Cercle Brugge on loan until the end of the current season.

The 70th DFB Pro Licence course brings double joy for HSV with its completion: Both head coach Merlin Polzin and assistant coach Loic Fave have passed Germany's highest coaching qualification this year and can now call themselves fully qualified 'football coaches'.

Scottish U21 international Adedire Mebude joins Hamburger SV on loan from Belgian top-flight club KVC Westerlo, set to bolster the attack as a pacey winger.

Hamburg and Moritz Heyer have agreed to end his contract at the club. The 29-year-old defensive player moves to Fortuna Düsseldorf immediately on a free transfer.

Andre Breitenreiter transferred from Hannover to HSV in 1994. In his first match for the senior team, he came on as a substitute and scored a hat-trick in 19 minutes against Ikast FS in the Intertoto Cup. On his Bundesliga debut, he scored for HSV in a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich, beating Oliver Kahn. In total, Breitenreiter scored 21 goals in 89 competitive matches for the Red Shorts.

The last home victory against Hannover was also HSV's record-biggest win in the Bundesliga 2 (6-1 on 8 April 2023).

In the last three matches between these two teams, four HSV players were sent off. In the reverse fixture, Sebastian Schonlau received a second yellow card. During the spectacular 4-3 in the last match at the Volkspark on 9 February 2024, Laszlo Benes (straight red card) and Dennis Hadzikadunic (second yellow) were dismissed, and in HSV's away victory in August 2023, Guilherme Ramos was shown a red card.

HSV and Hannover have met in competitive matches over 100 times, with this being their twelfth encounter in the Bundesliga 2. Hannover have won the last two meetings (1-0, 4-3).

Welcome along and thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of this Matchday 20 fixture between Hamburger SV and Hannover 96.