Hannover and Eintracht Braunschweig met at the HDI-Arena in the first Lower Saxony derby between the two teams in 37 years.
However, the game failed to impress with the majority of chances throughout coming from free kicks or corners, although the deliveries were poor throughout.
Daniel Davari was the busier goalkeeper, making one or two decent stops, but neither side did enough to take the points.
Read how the action unfolded below.
Good evening fussball fans. The Bundesliga weekend is about to get underway and first up is Hannover vs. Braunschweig tonight.
Hannover have one of the better home records in the Bundesliga over the past couple of seasons and they have taken 13 points from 18 so far. Indeed, those are the only 13 points they have collected as they have been beyond hapless away from HDI-Arena.
Braunschweig looked all set for a swift return to the 2. Bundesliga following their start. They got just one point from their first seven games, but have collected two wins from their last four - last week a particularly impressive victory over the then in-form Leverkusen.
Hannover's home games this season certainly have not been short of goals. There have been 20 in the six matches played here, and there should be some tonight, especially considering that combined these two teams have conceded 42 in their 22 games.
Right, let's take a look at the two lineups shall we? Just one moment while I get them over to you.
HANNOVER XI: Zieler; Sakai, Hoffmann, Schulz, Pocognoli; Andreasen, Prib; Stindl, Bittencourt, Huzti; Diouf
BRAUNSCHWEIG XI: Davari; Elabdellaoui, Bicakcic, Dogan, Perthel; Caligiuri, Vrancic, Theuerkauf; Kruppke, Boland; Kumbela
So the good news for Hannover is that Mame Biram Diouf is back from his suspension - for the two quick yellows he picked up in the hammering by Hoffenheim in their last home game.
Probably rightly, Hannover are the overwhelming favourites tonight. they are 4/6 for the win and Braunschweig are some way back at 5/1. I wouldn't say it's enough of a dead cert to put much on Hannover at those odds, but it does depend on how well the visitors do at the back.
Just two minutes to go then - I should make a prediction. As much as I've said it's not a dead cert, I'm still going for a 2-0 home win. I think there is just too much in that attack for the promoted side.
This is the 100th game of the Bundesliga season and the first time the two sides have met for 37 years. It should be good.
KICKOFF: We're underway and Hannover win an early throw, but can't make anything of the chance.
Good possession early on from the home side. They are patient with the ball and are not playing any risky passes at the moment. Braunschweig are playing a 4-3-3 off the ball, with two narrow banks of players defending from the front.
Early half-chance from Prib there. Diouf controls a pass really well and passes to his teammate, who takes a touch to cut inside but puts his effort wide of the near post. Just a hint of the danger that the Senegalese has there, using his body well to control the ball.
Braunschweig win a corner through Kruppke as a flare is thrown on the pitch, just off the sidelines. Kumbela controls it and works his way to the byline before his cross is cleared - albeit awkwardly - by a punch from Ron-Robert Zieler.
Lars Stindl is caught in two minds whether to fizz in a pass or shoot from 30 yards. In the end he goes for goal but without much conviction and his shot goes comfortably wide. Diouf does really well to chase down Bicakcic and block his clearance, but in the end Dogan does get it away.
SAVE! That's an excellent stop from Davari there. Hoffmann meets a corner and it takes a flying tip-over from the away stopper to keep it out.
Diouf is really putting himself about as he tries to get on to Andreasen's pass, but it did ask a little bit too much of him. They are really stretched, the hosts, in that their defensive line is deep but Diouf is very advanced.
BOOKING: Diouf is too quick for Bicakcic and as the ball is whipped around the corner the defender finally arrives to take him out. A fair card that.
From the free kick Diouf beats two Braunschweig players in the air but somewhat loops his header into the arms of Divari. Dogan and Vrancic - the two players going up with Diouf - clash heads and they are both getting treatment.
After something of a lull in play Hannover come forward again. Sakai is closed down quickly down the right, but he finds Stindl who puts in a cross. Braunschweig manage to clear before Andreasen stops the break with a foul on Boland.
Braunschweig want a free kick on the edge of the box. The hosts are almost caught out as Kruppke chests to Caligiuri, who is nearly through, but goes down in a heap under pressure from Schulz. It was just good defending from what I could tell.
Braunschweig are enjoying their best spell of the game here, but are still yet to create a proper chance. Kumbela is coming deep and into the channels to get the ball but his touch is letting him down somewhat so far.
The visitors are winning most of the balls into the box, whether they are coming from corners or from deep through Stindl. They will be pleased with their start and can now look to come into it a bit more.
CHANCE! What a chance for a cross that is from Huzsti. He beats the offside trap on the left and is played in by Stindl, but instead of the early cross to the lurking Diouf he delays and then sees it blocked. They come again and this time Huzsti's cross does find the Senegalese, but he puts his far-post header wide.
CHANCE! Another chance for Diouf and this time with his left boot. He's forced quite wide and has Prib to his right, but opts to go for goal and slashes his effort way over. They are really starting to ramp up the pressure now, the hosts.
Braunschweig have ridden out the pressure and have found their shape again. Kumbela is still putting himself about and is winning a few free kicks to help his side regroup. He's working hard but I'm sure he'd love a sight at Zieler soon.
We're definitely entered a scrappy phase, with plenty of 50-50s and tackles flying in. Nothing is dirty, though. Braunschweig have a chance to cross through Perthel on the left, but he only finds Zieler with just Boland lingering at the far post area.
Another corner for the visitors, which you suspect is their best chance tonight. The ball comes out to Perthel from about 35 yards but although he keeps it down he cannot get it on target and his strike goes well wide.
I'm not sure we will see a goal in this before the break. The crowd are still expectant, however, and are making a lot of noise. Another free kick for Braunschweig and it's Kumbela once more brought down, this time by Hoffmann.
Elabdellaoui is absolutely all over Huzsti on the Hannover left and gives away a free kick for a clear shirt pull. Bittencourt's ball is too deep and although Hoffmann meets it he cannot do much more than head over.
SAVE! Bittencourt is close to breaking the deadlock. Stindl finds Prib, who pokes to Bittencourt and really his shot is low and comfortable for Divari to divert wide. Bittencourt didn't have a lot of room for manoeuvre, but having got away he might think he should have done better.
HALF-TIME: Hannover 0-0 Braunschweig
So it's goalless at the break in the first Lower Saxony derby for 37 years. Unfortunately it hasn't been great, but the busier goalkeeper has certainly been Divari, who was forced into action on a couple of key occasions.
Braunschweig have certainly had a say, but their shots have mainly come from distance. They had earned a lot of free kicks and corners, with Kumbela really putting himself about, but are yet to have a clear chance of the kind that Hannover have had a couple.
I wouldn't expect either coach to make changes at the break. Hannover have seen most of the ball and the better chances, but that does not mean Torsten Lieberknecht won't be pleased with the away side's effort tonight.
Here come the players for the second half. There is a real sense of expectation in this derby, but will either set of players send their fans home happy?
KICKOFF: The away side get us back underway then. It's well poised and could well be decided by one goal.
Neither side has taken control of the half yet and the ball isn't spending too much time on the ground at the moment. Diouf chases after a long ball but Divari gets there first and clings on.
Hannover are starting to get on top, but really the visitors are comfortable at the back at the moment. Diouf and then Huzsti try to get on the end of a cross, but Pocognoli's ball goes to Divari instead.
Another free kick for the away team here, their 15th so far. It's fizzed in but the angle wasn't right for Kumbela's header and he sends it well over the bar. That wasn't the right delivery from Caligiuri for me.
Prib's turn to put in a free kick and it's Andreasen who rises highest, but his backwards header goes over the bar. He then goes into the book for a late tackle. That's his standard booking.
CLOSE! Pocognoli has had enough of crossing from the byline and this time decides to strike from near enough 30 yards. He gets a lot of power on it but sees it fly wide of the right-hand post. Not too far wide.
CHANCE! What a chance that is for Diouf! He's played in and only has Divari to beat, but can only direct a weak effort straight into the keeper's grateful arms. Oh dear.
Yet another free kick in this scrappy game. It's Caligiuri who is brought down by Stindl. Can the visitors work something here? No, they play it right to Elabdellaoui, whose cross is too deep and Vrancic cannot keep it in. Poor.
Penalty shout as Diouf goes down on the edge of the box after a tackle from Dogan! The home crowd are screaming for it but the referee waves play on. I have to say it looked clumsy. The crowd are getting really frustrated as another foul goes against Andreasen.
HANNOVER SUB: Jan Shlaudraff is on for Bittencourt, who in truth has been very quiet. Can the experienced midfielder be the difference?
Diouf wants another penalty but it's not given again and instead he gives away a free kick. It maybe wasn't a foul by Diouf but there's certainly no penalty as he goes down in a heap of yellow shirts.
Zieler gets a touch, which has got to be one of his first in the half. That makes it sound like Hannover have been dominant, but it has just been a game devoid of chances.
CHANCE! Prib swings in a cross and there are about five players trying to get on the end of it - some want it away and others want it in. In the end it comes off a couple and goes wide after hitting a player in red. A really good ball in though.
BRAUNSCHWEIG SUB: Orhan Ademi comes on for Kruppke, who was good in the first half but has done little since the break.
Dogan is close to putting through his own net there as Schlaudraff fizzes in a cross, but the defender somehow managed to turn it wide with a diving header. Really good defending in the end.
Braunschweig have another chance to threaten with a ball into the box from Vrancic, but there is too much air on the cross and it allows Zieler to read it and then come out to claim.
SUBS: All those in red are very frustrated right now - they don't think they'll win this now. Marc Pfitzner comes on for Caligiuri while Prib makes way for Arthur Sobiech.
Boland running the risk of a booking by not backing away from a free kick, but he gets away with it. Prib swings it in but again cannot beat the first man. There have been some really poor deliveries tonight.
BRAUNSCHWEIG SUB: Two minutes will be added on. I will be stunned if there is a goal. Time for one more change for the visitors as Kumbela comes off for Simeon Jackson.
FULL-TIME: Hannover 0-0 Braunschweig
So in a game that promised much, the Lower Saxony derby becomes the second 0-0 of the season. The good news for the Bundesliga weekend is that it can only improve.
Thanks for joining me for this one. That's all from me tonight, but stick around on site tonight and over the weekend for reports and reaction from all the sporting drama. Goodnight.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
