Freiburg hosted Hannover knowing that a win by more than two goals would move them temporarily into the Champions League qualification spots.
A missed catch from Ron-Robert Zieler caught out his defender Christian Schulz, who inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
Hannover were level briefly through Konstantin Rausch but Max Kruse put the hosts back ahead before the break with a neat finish from the edge of the box.
In the second half Hannover pressed forward but were caught on the break as Jonathan Schmid completed the scoring to give Freiburg a 3-1 win.
Read how the action unfolded below with out live text commentary.
Hello everyone and thanks for joining me for tonight's Bundesliga action as Freiburg take on Hannover.
Before I go any further, I shall bring you the teams that have come to us here at Sports Mole.
FREIBURG XI: Baumann; Mujdza, Krnas, Diagne, Sorg; Ginter, Schuster, Schmid, Caligiuri, Santini, Kruse
HOFFENHEIM XI: Zieler; Cherundolo, Djourou, Schulz, Pocognoli; Hoffmann, Stindl, Rausch, Schlaudraff; Diouf, Ya Konan
Both sides might well fancy their chances for the points here and that is reflected by two quite attacking lineups with two strikers for each. For Freiburg, Max Kruse continues even though he this week agreed terms on a move to Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer.
For Hannover, the dynamic front pair of Mame Biram Diouf and Didier Ya Konan continue, despite their perhaps lack of goals in recent weeks. Diouf is constantly linked with moves to other European leagues - his 10 goals this season will not help his club's cause for keeping him.
Indeed there are quite a lot of goals in this Hannover side. Szabolcs Huszti, who doesn't play today, has nine goals while Mohammed Abdellaoue, who is on the bench, has seven.
It is clear why Kruse was in demand and is leaving Freiburg. Perhaps the timing is odd as they are performing well above expectations this season, but Kruse has played magnificently all season which is reflected in his nine goals.
Freiburg are positioned really well to at least qualify for the Europa League this season. With a win by enough goals - three - they will move from fifth above Schalke 04 into fourth. Hannover are a little further back, but three points would see them go into seventh and in with a real chance.
Of course, that's before the weekend's action where everything is likely to change all over again!
In the head-to-head between these sides, Hannover are on top. In the 11 games between them, Hannover have five wins, Freiburg have two wins and there have been four draws.
In terms of the odds, Freiburg are favourites. They can be backed at around 7-9 while Hannover are around 17-4. The draw is 14-5.
We're off. For what it's worth, I think Freiburg will edge this 2-1.
It's a solid start from the hosts, they're pressing well. There's a shot from Mensur Mujdza but his early effort is off target.
Hannover are trying to keep a tight couple of banks if four when Freiburg are on the ball. They'll need that shape to remain if they want anything from this game I suspect.
Didier Ya Konan shoots at the end of a decent spell of Hannover possession. He takes a lofted pass on his chest and shoots from just outside the box, It had power but fizzed wide of the goal. He did well to create a chance from nothing there.
Hannover have dealt well with a couple of early free kicks into their box. The hosts have yet to properly threaten, but they're seeing plenty of the ball.
CHANCE! What a chance for Kruse's 10th of the season. A cross from Schmid is right into the path of the striker but he fluffs his volley wide! A really, really good chance for the opener.
Hannover win a corner after a further spell of possession from the hosts. They win another after the first is cleared but then Baumann catches high above his head to relieve the pressure on the hosts.
Still Kruse's chance is the best of the game so far. Shmid combines well with Mujdza but his cross is slightly overhit and Hannover can clear. They're playing on the break Hannover, but Konstantin Rausch's pass to Diouf goes straight to Baumann.
Terrible free kick there for Freiburg. Caligiuri tries to find Kruse in behind the wall but his pass is way too strong and it goes straight out for a goal kick. Training ground moves won't work if they're executed that badly!
Another terrible pass. Kruse wins the ball in the Hannover half and simply has to find Santini at the far post, but it's out for a goal kick. He was open the Croatian and would have had a simple header or volley.
Freiburg are completely in control, at least in terms of possession. Hannover are of course looking to play on the break but they've barely ventured into the home half in the last five minutes.
CLOSE! A really nice passing move there as Caligiuri finds Kruse inside. He tries to curl it into the bottom corner and Freiburg win the corner - I don't think Zieler got a touch, though.
GOAL! Freiburg 1-0 Hannover (Christian Schulz og)
Oh my word what a comical own goal! The corner came in and there was no-one attacking it, but Zieler completely misses the catch or the punch or whatever he was trying and he smacks Schulz in the shin and rolls across the line. Horrible goalkeeping!
BOOKING: Schulz is now booked to sum up an awful few minutes for him. It's somewhat harsh as Shmid goes past him and he slightly catches the Freiburg man as he looked to break. Zieler was so solid in Hannover's last game at home to Stuttgart, but that's been completely undone with that error here.
Oliver Sorg wastes a good crossing chance by guiding it straight to Ziler. He had plenty of time to pick out a man as he wasn't closed down. Perhaps he was hoping for another Zieler error?
BOOKING: Lars Stindl follows his Hannover teammate into the book and that's a poor, late lunge. He had little chance of getting the ball and it looks like nothing more than frustration. They need to calm down here, Hannover.
Hoffmann is away down the left for Hannover. Diouf is the only man in the middle but Hoffmann's cross is too close to Baumann and the keeper gathers. That was a good chance while Freiburg were out of position, but it goes begging.
Freiburg are pressing even the Hannover centre-backs. As such, Johan Djourou is forced into a long ball, which gives it straight back to the hosts. They pass it around but then a ball over the top looking for Santini is given to Zieler.
GOAL! Freiburg 1-1 Hannover (Konstantin Rausch)
Hannover break but the danger looks to be gone when Krmas has the chance to head back to his keeper. However, he underhits it which lets in Diouf, who rounds Baumann and is pushed wide. He refuses to panic, and instead cuts across to Rausch who clips it superbly into the top corner for the leveller.
You can't really say that Hannover deserve to be level, but on balance it has been quite even. Freiburg have perhaps had the better chances but there's always that threat of a counter by Hannover, which has been proven.
Ya Konan is working very hard tonight. He's right back on his own goal-line shepherding the ball out for a goal kick. They try to brea kbut Mujdza clears the ball with a good sliding tackle.
Djourou protests his innocence that the ball didn't touch him, but the referee awards the corner. Schlaudraff and Rausch have been given offside in the last few minutes to this high Freiburg defensive line. It's far less dominant by Freiburg now.
GOAL! Freiburg 2-1 Hannover (Max Kruse)
He's been a real threat all night and he's just proven what he can do with an inch of space. Stindl cannot clear a cross, which allows Kruse to control with one touch and hit the half-volley into the very bottom corner with his next. An excellent finish.
There will be one minute to be added on, which we're ticked into.
HALF-TIME: Freiburg 2-1 Hannover
After a slightly slow start it turned into a very entertaining half of football. Freiburg have dominated the possession for the most part and are just about deserved leaders at the break.
The first two goals came from mistakes. Zieler flapped at a corner and the ball hit the poor, unsuspecting Schulz and bobbled over the line. Hannover's equaliser came about from a terrible back header by Krmas. Diouf was on to it in a flash and he set up Rausch to clip in.
The third goal was just class from Kruse. He took down a left-wing cross with one touch and directed it low into the far corner with his second. Zieler can't be faulted for that one, it was a great finish.
STATISTICS: It's been even in most areas bar the possession. Freiburg have seen 61% of the ball but haven't managed any more chances than Hannover - both have had five shots with two on target.
FREIBURG SUB: Krmas comes off to be replaced by Hohn.
Freiburg get us underway for the second half.
Caligiuri creeps into space on the edge of the box. He takes it down well but eventually loses the ball. They win it back and Santini wastes the chance that time by slicing well wide from distance.
The second half has already settled into a similar pattern to the first. Freiburg are harrying when not on the ball and zipping it about with short passes when they do have it.
Really good defending from Pocognoli there as Caligiuri almosts threaded Schmid in, who had cut in from the right flank. They're certainly on top now are Freiburg and the fans have responded by raising the decibels inside the stadium.
Ya Konan latches on to a poor pass from Santini and is then brought down by Sorg. They win a free kick in a dangerous position for a ball in and it falls to Diouf but Baumann just gets there first.
Kruse links up with Caligiuri, who has really come into his own this half. Caligiuri looks for Santini with a flashed cross at head height, but it was just in front of the Croat and it goes out of play. Really neat build-up, though. now they win a free kick after Hoffmann brings down Kruse just outside the box.
SAVE! Shmid sneaks into space on the edge of the box and fires goalwards first-time, but it's a decent height for Zieler to tip over the bar. From the corner, Freiburg win another and start to ramp up the pressure.
Hannover break quickly through Ya Konan but Diagne defends really well and stops it going out for a corner, too. The visitors work a move from defence all the way to Schlaudraff breaking into the box, but Stindl's pass is just overhit.
SAVE! Shmid shrugs off Pocognoli's tackle and unleashes a piledriver that Zieler manages to get a strong hand on to push wide. Good effort from an angle there.
DOUBLE SAVE! Zieler again and that's his best moment of the match. First he gets his chest behind Caligiuri's diving header at the far post before getting up and blocking the same player's rebound with his face! Great keeping.
It's opened up now this game as Hannover have started to push forward a little more. As a result, there's more space for Freiburg to operate and are pressing slightly higher up the pitch.
HANNOVER SUB: Sergio da Silva Pinto comes on for Stindl, who has faded in this half in truth.
CHANCE! Rausch is found in-behind and he looks for Diouf with the cut-back, but the big striker's first touch is poor and Freiburg can clear. He should have created a shot there from a good position around the penalty spot.
After a few minutes of pressure from Hannover, Freiburg gather control of the ball again and get some respite when Schuster is fouled. Caligiuri drifts to the left flank now but the intended ball is headed away by Cherundolo.
It's a little scrappy just now, about half way through the half. Both sides are giving away fouls and the ball in the middle and there hasn't been a proper chance for a while.
CHANCE! Until then! Schlaudraff dinks a ball over the top to Diouf, who had broken the offside trap but hits his shot into the ground and straight at Baumann when one-on-one! Terrible.
Hannover are the better side and have been for the last almost 10 minutes. Rausch finds space about 35 yards from goal but his low effort is dead centre of goal and easy for Baumann.
Pocognoli beats Mujdza with a touch but beats himself too as it runs out for a goal kick. It's about the time for match-winning substitutes, I think as Ya Konan is brought down just short of the half way line.
GOAL! Freiburg 3-1 Hannover (Jonathan Schmid)
Oh dear, it's more horrific defending from the visitors. Santini's cross simply has to be cut out by Cherundolo, but he lets it by him and Schmid is there; he shoots and Zieler lets it go under his body and in!
HANNOVER SUB: Ya Konan is coming off, with Abdellaoue in his place. Can he have more success?
HANNOVER SUB: Sobiech, the striker, comes on for left-back Pocognoli. It's the Hail Mary now for Hannover.
Hannover are pressing forward but it just doesn't look like it will happen for them. Freiburg are defending in numbers now and looking to smother any attack.
Another goal and Freiburg would hold a Champions League qualification spot. They would go ahead of Schalke on goal difference. it's currently even but Schalke are ahead on goals scored.
BOOKING: Julian Schuster is the first Freiburg player into the book. From the corner it's Baumann's turn for some awful goalkeeping, slicing a punch out for a corner. From it, Hoffmann hits a bouncing ball well over.
CLOSE! How has that stayed out! Kruse advances on Ziefer, lifts it over him and at the far stick Makiadi surely has a tap-in but Djourou blocks it on the line!
FREIBURG SUB: Gunter comes on for the hosts, in place of the excellent Caligiuri.
Hannover are a bit desperate now. Their passing is more direct and are playing right into the hands of Freiburg, who can slow it down whenever they get on the ball. I think Mirko Slomka can kiss goodbye to European football with this defeat.
Three minutes of added time have been signalled, as Cherundolo brings down Kruse in midfield.
The game seems to be ending with some petty fouls from the visitors. Freiburg have a free kick here. They try to work something again through Kruse, but his deep cross is cleared.
Sobiech breaks from the free kick but Freiburg are steaming back to stop him scoring. In the end he slashes an effort high and wide.
FULL-TIME: Freiburg 3-1 Hannover
That will go down as a comfortable win for Freiburg. Their third goal came at the crucial time as Hannover were coming back into the game, but the correct team certainly won on the night.
Thanks for joining me tonight. Please stick around on site for reaction from tonight's sporting action and come back tomorrow for our packed schedule. Goodnight from me.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
