AUDIO: Hannover’s weeks of truth begin against Elversberg (1 min)
2nd league
As of: April 5, 2026 9:37 a.m
Start of the top game weeks for Hannover 96: The “Reds” welcome SV Elversberg today. With their first ever victory over the Saarlanders, the Lower Saxony team would overtake the SVE in the table – and further underline their own promotion ambitions.
There is great joy at Maschsee that it is finally about football again. The international break is over, and the ad hoc departure of sports director Jörg Schmadtke, which overshadowed the euphoria over the derby win against Braunschweig, has at least been digested to some extent. Time to concentrate on what’s happening on the pitch again – time for the final spurt in the second division promotion race.
Hannover starts its most important weeks of the season today against SV Elversberg (1.30 p.m., in the NDR Livecenter). The home game against SVE is followed by the games in Darmstadt (April 11th) and against Paderborn (April 18th). Three top games within 13 days. Three games after which nothing will be decided, but a lot can be set in the right direction.
96 has never won against Elversberg
Because 96 has the fate of the fight for the Bundesliga in its own hands. If victories against direct competitors are achieved, the route to the first floor leads via Hanover.
In a first step, the Saarland team – currently in second place with 51 points, three places and two points ahead of the “Reds” – should be defeated on Sunday. It would be the first time, because Lower Saxony has not yet been able to win against Elversberg in either the cup (one game) or the league (five games).
Ex-Elversberger Neubauer wants his first win against the SVE
Until last summer, Maurice Neubauer wore the “Elv” jersey – and thus contributed to the fact that the Lower Saxony team had no chance against the SVE. Since this season he has swapped sides – in two senses. Not only does he now play for Hannover, but he was also “converted” from left to right-back under coach Christian Titz.
Maurice Neubauer (r.) “retrained” from left-back to right-back in Hanover.
According to the 29-year-old, the desire for change was one of the reasons for him to move to Maschsee. “That’s exactly why I took this step to 96, because I wanted to learn something new and get out of my comfort zone. That’s how you develop further.” What was initially “unusual” quickly “got better from game to game.” A goal and four assists for the “retrainee” also speak for this statistically.
96 behind but with all the trump cards in hand
Especially since the Recklinghausen native also represents the entire team, which had to find its feet after the big upheaval and also had to accept setbacks. In contrast to previous seasons, there are still good prospects of achieving the desired promotion even in the final phase of the season.
He attests that his “ex” SV Elversberg, with whom he was promoted twice in five years, has made “tremendous” development. Even and especially after the big changes last summer. Coach Titz shares the assessment and praises the guests’ “high quality” and “enormous second division experience” as well as their playing strength.
Nevertheless: “We definitely want to win the game against a direct competitor.” It’s “something great, we can achieve something,” said the 55-year-old since Wednesday. And the good thing for him and 96: They have it in their own hands.
Possible lineups
Hannover 96: Noll – Allgeier, Nawrocki, Ghita – Leopold – Neubauer, Kokolo – Thordarson, Aseko Nkili – Chakroun, Pichler
SV Elversberg: Kristof – Gyamerah, Pinckert, Rohr, Günther – Condé, Poreba – Petkov, Pherai, Zimmerschied – Schnellbacher
