Köln and Hannover couldn't be separated on Saturday evening, after Anthony Ujah canceled out Joselu’s header after just five minutes.
Hannover’s started quickly, it took them just three minutes to test Timo Horn in goal. Lars Stindl picked out Joselu in the box but his header effort was easily caught by the young German. Then, just two minutes later, Joselu finally took his chance; this time he placed his headed effort and it flew into the top corner, leaving Horn with no chance.
Following the goal, Köln had a new lease of life; Matthias Lehmann saw his effort whistle past the post, Yuya Osako then saw his shot blocked before Anthony Ujah headed Köln level.
The hosts pushed on, Lehmann assisted Ujah, but the Nigerian couldn’t quite direct his header on target. Ujah was causing real problems for Hannover, again he won a header, this time it was on target but Ron-Robert Zieler was at hand to divert the danger. Köln kept pushing, ten minutes before the break Osako and Lehmann linked up but the latter’s shot was well saved.
Before half time, Hannover fought back looking to go in at the break leading. Marcelo met Lars Stindl’s cross but his header straight at Horn.
The two sides went in at the break level, hosts Köln creating the better of the first half chances.
Köln started the second half as they finished the first, Osako and Köln’s play was exquisite but Osako couldn’t quite get enough bend on his shot and it grazed the left hand side of the post. Jonas Hector took the free kick won by Ujah, his cross fell to Dominic Maroh who was on the six yard box, he tried bending into Zieler’s far corner by the couldn’t quite get enough on it.
Hannover squandered a golden opportunity with twenty-five left, Ceyhum Gülselam’s brought it down terrifically, he done brilliantly to get the shot off but Timo Hörn saved a destined goal scraping the ball out the top right corner. Stindl with another tremendous pass, immediately after, they linked up again, Gülselam headed goal wards but Hörn was there again to keep it out.
With just under twenty-minutes remaining, Zieler kept out Ujah once again, his left footed strike well saved by the German towart. Then Zieler kept out Jonas Hector’s effort from a difficult angle remarkably.
Holding onto the point was made harder when João Pereira was sent off for a second bookable offence. Köln somehow only got a point from this game, Hannover held on however to remain tenth.