“Um mich geht es nicht. Es geht um den Verein und da wollen wir gemeinsam erfolgreich sein,” said Sandro Wagner prior to kickoff. Despite that pre-match resolve, the struggles mounted swiftly on Wednesday night.
Bayer Leverkusen staged a dramatic 5:2 comeback victory against 1. FC Nürnberg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. While the 2024 double winners rescued their tournament campaign at the BayArena after falling behind by two goals, 2. Bundesliga side Hannover 96 endured another severe setback under their recently appointed manager.
Hannover 96 Falters Against Kaiserslautern
While Leverkusen survived, Hannover 96 crashed out of the competition following a 0:2 home defeat to league rival 1. FC Kaiserslautern in front of 35,800 fans at the Heinz von Heiden Arena. Milos Lukovic opened the scoring with a 14th-minute distance strike, and Ivan Prtajin sealed the result in the 86th minute by converting one of the visitors’ few genuine opportunities.
Sport Bild noted that manager Sandro Wagner faces mounting pressure in the wake of the result. Wagner remains winless through his first four matches at the helm of the 96ers. The defeat compounded a miserable week for the club, which lost 0:2 to Eintracht Braunschweig in the Niedersachsenderby over the weekend and slipped into the third-to-last in the table in the 2nd division.
Missed Chances and Video Review Frustrations for Wagner’s Side
Hannover dominated large stretches of the match but repeatedly failed to capitalize on their openings. Marcel Hartel missed an early chance in the second minute, while Kaiserslautern goalkeeper Julian Krahl produced a stellar performance, denying Maurice Neubauer, Hartel, and Benjamin Källman. Franz Roggow also struck the woodwork just before halftime.
The hosts suffered further blows from the officiating crew. The referee initially awarded Hannover a 22nd-minute penalty after a challenge on Husseyn Chakroun, but the video assistant referee intervened and correctly reversed the decision to a direct free kick outside the penalty area. An apparent goal by Chakroun in the 28th minute was also chalked off for offside.
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Hannover 96 returns to league action on Sunday with a crucial 2. Bundesliga fixture against Dynamo Dresden.
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