"Too bad for the game": Riots accompany St. Pauli and 96
Accompanied by riots in the stands, league leaders FC St. Pauli kept third-placed Hannover 96 at bay in the 2nd Bundesliga. The top match at the Millerntor Stadium, which was briefly interrupted on Friday evening due to police action in the visitors' fan block, ended 0-0.
From the 75th minute onwards, fans of the Lower Saxony side got into a violent altercation for an unknown reason - first among themselves and then with the police. There were some violent brawls, and cups and sticks were thrown. The 96 supporters took down their banners and stopped supporting the team. The match, which was taking place at the same time as the Winterdom funfair, which had opened right next to the stadium, was resumed after around five minutes.
"These are scenes that don't belong in a soccer stadium," said Hannover coach Stefan Leitl. "It's a shame for the game because the flow of the game is interrupted," said Pauli's stand-in captain Marcel Hartel. The 27-year-old added on the sporting side: "We lacked a bit of consistency today."
His coach Fabian Hürzeler was unhappy with the draw. "Nevertheless, I'm satisfied with the performance," he said, praising the defensive performance in particular. According to the statistics, 96 did not manage a direct shot on goal. Leitl was satisfied with the draw.
The match had only provided the fans with a few highlights. The hosts were the better team after an even start. Johannes Eggestein missed a great chance to open the scoring (16'). Six minutes later, Elias Saad beat 96 goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler with a deflected shot - but the goal did not count due to a previous offside position by flanker Oladapo Afolayan.
The first half was full of mistakes. This continued in the second half. If at all, the hosts were dangerous. St. Pauli continued to dominate the game. Once again, the hapless Eggestein missed the lead with a header (78'). The strong winger Saad repeatedly created dangerous chances in front of the 96 goal. But no more goals were scored.
Hannover remain five points off the relegation places for the time being. If HSV win at Kiel on Saturday (13:00/Sky), the city rivals can draw level with St. Pauli on points. HSV could only overtake them with a big win.
Despite the riots disrupting the match, FC St. Pauli managed to maintain their lead in Bundesliga 2 by holding Hannover 96 to a 0-0 draw at the Millerntor Stadium. In the aftermath of the unrest, Hannover 96 fan section decided to stop supporting their team.
Source: www.dpa.com
