Sunday 30 September 2018 20:17, UK
Ante Rebic scored one goal and set up another as Eintracht Frankfurt bounced back from a bad start to the Bundesliga season to win 4-1 against Hannover 96.
The World Cup finalist caused havoc in the Hannover defence as Frankfurt lifted themselves away from the bottom three. Hannover are rooted to the bottom with a meagre two points from six matches.
Evan N'Dicka gave Frankfurt the lead on 36 minutes after Hannover lost the ball too easily in their own half, latching onto Sebastien Haller's looping header to score his first ever Bundesliga goal.
More hapless defending from Hannover saw Frankfurt double the lead on the stroke of half-time, Rebic twisting away from Oliver Sorg to slot the ball past goalkeeper Michael Esser.
The visitors started the second half brightly, but shot themselves in the foot once again when Waldemar Anton allowed Rebic to break free in the final third. The Croatian squared the ball to Jonathan De Guzman, who tapped it into an open goal for Frankfurt's third.
Hannover clawed one back four minutes from time, Florent Muslija turning in Bobby Wood's cross to score a consolation goal on his Bundesliga debut.
The visitors' brief resistance was crushed moments later, however, as Luka Jovic danced through the Hannover back line to squeeze the ball past Esser.
In the other game on Sunday, Iceland's Alfred Finnbogason scored a hat-trick in Augsburg's 4-1 demolition of Freiburg to become their all-time leading Bundesliga scorer with 25 goals and earn his team their first home win of the season.
Having been sidelined with a knee injury since August, Finnbogason delivered a sparkling performance in his first appearance of the season to fire Augsburg up to eighth in the table.
Freiburg goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow was forced into two excellent saves in the opening exchanges, but he could do nothing to stop Caiuby's powerful header on 19 minutes.
A dominant Augsburg doubled the lead 15 minutes later, as Jeffrey Gouweleeuw and Michael Gregoritsch sliced through the Freiburg defence and Finnbogason completed the move with a delicate backheel flick.
Medical staff were called into action after a member of the crowd reportedly suffered a heart attack during the first half, and the game resumed amid a sombre atmosphere after half-time.
A bizarre own goal brought Freiburg back into the game, as Martin Hinteregger's desperate goal-line clearance rebounded against teammate Jonathan Schmid and into the Augsburg net.
Freiburg were eventually sunk by Finnbogason's second, the Icelander coolly converting the penalty after he had been tripped in the box by Dominique Heintz.
Seven minutes from time, Finnbogason turned in Andre Hahn's low cross to complete his hat-trick.
