Three-goal Hanover defeat Frankfurt to move second

FRANKFURT - Hanover scored twice in the first half and added a third late on to defeat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 and move second in the Bundesliga.

Norway striker Mohammed Abdellaoue opened the scoring in the 15th minute when he found the net on the edge of the area, and Christian Schulz at the near post headed a second six minutes later from a corner.

Didier Ya Konan rounded off the scoring for the visitors when he converted a cross from Lars Stindl in the 89th minute.

Hanover leapfrog Mainz and Bayer Leverkusen to move to 34 points, 12 behind leaders Borussia Dortmund who were 3-1 winners at Leverkusen Friday evening.

Both Mainz, who lost 1-0 at Stuttgart Saturday, and Leverkusen are on 33 points, while Bayern Munich stay fifth on 30 points after Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Wolfsburg.

Hanover, who greet Schalke next week, have now won six of their last seven games and are enjoying their highest position ever in the second half of a Bundesliga season.

“It’s nice to be second,” said coach Mirko Slomka, whose side has already overtaken its points tally last season when they finished just outside the relegation zone.

Slomka, 43, who took over a year ago, said he was “in very good talks” with the club on extending his contract which expires at the end of the season.

It follows local reports ahead of the game that Slomka had asked the club to release him.