Top Against Bottom
September 30, 2006
Dortmund gave their home fans something to cheer about at the beginning of the game when goalkeeper Robert Enke, who earlier on the day had been called up into the Germany squad, pushed a Florian Kringe shot after a Dede free kick against the post in the sixth minute.
Polish international Euzebiusz Smolarek was on hand to push the ball over the line.
Hanover coach Dieter Hecking introduced Vahid Hashemian into the match on the hour and it took the Iranian international just 15 minutes to stamp his authority on the game with an equalizer.
A minute later Dortmund regained the lead, when Smolarek was set up by Brazilian Tinga and gave Enke no chance.
Hanover struck back virtually immediately, when Hashemian turned provider three minutes after having scored himself and fed the ball to Hungarian Szabolcs Huszti, who leveled matters again.
The German top flight's other teams are in action on Saturday and Sunday as the league begins to resemble what German soccer fans have gotten used to with Bayern Munich trying to defend their spot at the top of the table.
Tops against bottoms
Bayern have a habit of turning on the power when they reach the summit -- something they did last season -- and the double winners have the perfect opportunity to turn open up a lead at the top Saturday with an away trip to bottom side VfL Wolfsburg.
Wolfsburg, managed by former Bayern defender Klaus Augenthaler, have yet to win this season and few would bet on that changing with Bayern expected to go home with the three points.
After defeating Inter Milan 2-0 in their midweek Champions League fixture Bayern will be full of confidence but captain Oliver Kahn issued a word of warning.
"We have seen that we are up there with the best teams but we need to underline that against VfL Wolfsburg," Kahn said.
Bayern cannot afford a slip as Schalke 04, level with 10 points, are only behind on goals scored.
Big weekend for Bremen
It is a crucial weekend for Werder Bremen, lying down in ninth spot, with the 2004 champions desperate not to allow Bayern to open up an early lead in the championship race.
Bremen, three points behind Bayern, were minutes away from defeating European champions Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday but a late Lionel Messi goal salvaged a 1-1 draw.
Werder host Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday and goalkeeper Tim Wiese said the three points would be a foregone conclusion if the team play like they did against Barcelona.
"We almost beat the best team in the world. If we play like that against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday we will tear them apart," Wiese said.
Hamburg shunned by soccer gods
SV Hamburg are not concerned with routing the opposition -- they just want to record a first win of the season.
The dark horses for the title are one of only two teams -- the other being Wolfsburg - yet to win this season and a 1-0 Champions League defeat at CSKA Moscow has deflated spirits even more.
Hamburg travel to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday with manager Thomas Doll calling for an end to a miserable run that has seen them exit the German cup, lose twice in the Champions League and pick up four points from five games in the Bundesliga.
"The sequence is already long and the time when opponents feared us is over," Doll said. "The soccer gods are not on Hamburg's side at the moment, but we have to accept it like men."