Hannover 96 2 - 0 Hamburger: Hannover pile pressure on Slomka

Posted Monday, September 15, 2014 by PA

Hannover turned up the pressure on their former coach Mirko Slomka with a 2-0 Bundesliga win over his Hamburg side, who remain without a goal and with only one point this season.

Leon Andreasen and Artur Sobiech netted the goals which take the Reds into a share of top spot with Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, but could well signal the end for their former coach.

Slomka has been under pressure at the northern Germany club, despite saving them from relegation via a play-off last season, and his days could well be numbered after this latest defeat.

Joselu wasted two early chances to give the hosts the lead, but he got the ball rolling as Hannover took the lead in the 13th minute.

He passed to Miiko Albornoz who swung in a cross from the left which was met by Andreasen to head in from six yards out.

10 minutes later, Joselu was involved again as Hannover doubled their lead with Sobiech somehow managing to bundle the ball past Jaroslav Drobny, who had been chosen ahead of Rene Adler in the Hamburg goal.

He was the source of Hamburg's biggest chance to get a goal back at the start of the second half with a long punt forward which Nicolai Muller screwed wide of the post with only Ron-Robert Zieler to beat.

The wasted chance summed up Hamburg's day, and season so far, and it could have got worse had Joselu's shot bounced in after hitting the underside of the crossbar.

Hamburg hit the crossbar themselves in the last minute, but even if Artjoms Rudnevs' header had gone in, it would have proven too little, too late.

Slomka now faces an anxious wait to find out if his club will back him or show him the door.