Bochum rally to down Hannover

(GSM) – Christian Fuchs’ late goal completed VfL Bochum’s comeback from a two-goal deficit at Hannover 96 for a crucial 3-2 victory in the fight against relegation from the Bundesliga.

Jan Schlaudraff gave Hannover a 2-0 lead with goals in the sixth and 33rd minutes.

Paul Freier pulled a goal back after 52 minutes and Joel Epalle levelled the game two minutes later before Fuchs gave Bochum the victory with his strike in the 86th minute.

The win, just Bochum’s second in 10 games, saw them move to 14th, while the result left Hannover without a victory in six.

Hannover grabbed the lead after just six minutes as Arnold Jan Bruggink passed in from the right side to Schlaudraff, who blasted home from 17 yards for his first goal since November 2008.

Schlaudraff was the beneficiary of some fine passing with s superb second goal after 33 minutes. Bruggink sent Steven Cherundolo down the right wing and the American chipped back to Schlaudraff, who blasted into the lower right corner.

Bochum nearly made it 3-0 with an own goal a minute before the break but Matias Concha’s header struck the left post.

The visitors pulled a goal back seven minutes after the break as Vahid Hashemian fed Freier into the area and the former Germany international beat Hannover keeper Florian Fromlowitz from a tight angle.

And Bochum evened the scores just two minutes later with Epalle blasting home a cross by Roman Prokoph from 18 yards.

Schlaudraff nearly scored his third goal with 15 minutes to play but shot just wide right.

And Bochum finished the comeback with four minutes to play as Fuchs curled home a free-kick from 25 yards into the upper right corner.