Hannover will feel that they are favourites to progress in their Europa League clash with Standard Liege after picking up a 2-2 draw in Belgium.
Hannover head home with two away goals
Hannover will feel that they are favourites to progress in their Europa League clash with Standard Liege after picking up a 2-2 draw in Belgium.
Former Manchester United striker Mame Biram Diouf ensured that the tie will head for Germany all square after grabbing a second-half leveller.
An entertaining last-16 encounter swung one way then the other, with Lars Stindl having opened the scoring only to see Yoni Buyens and Mohamed Tchite turn the tie in favour of the hosts.
Diouf was to have the last word, though, and Hannover return home with two away goals to show for their efforts.
Liege started Thursday's game on the back of a dismal run of form which had seen them go seven games without a win in all competitions, but they had the first chance when Gohi Cyriac's long-range effort was parried by Ron-Robert Zieler.
As the hosts pressed through a succession of corners, Buyens volleyed just wide from the middle of the box in the 15th minute, before Hannover belatedly clawed their way into the game with a long shot from Sofian Chahed.
Penalty
The visitors grabbed the lead against the run of play in the 21st minute when Konstantin Rausch was fouled by Antonio Kanu in the box and Stindl stepped up to open the scoring.
Christian Pander came close to adding a second when his shot was saved by Sinan Bolat in the Standard goal, before Buyens equalised on 26 minutes with a sweeping low shot from 12 yards.
And it took just three more minutes for the hosts to turn the game on its head, with Tchite rising to meet Serge Gakpe's outswinging corner and head into the top-right corner of Zieler's net.
The Belgians continued to hold the upper-hand at the start of the second half with Zieler saving from William Vainqueur, before Hannover fired a warning through a Stindl strike which was parried by Bolat.
Stindl again missed from long range before the equaliser arrived in the 56th minute, Diouf getting on the end of a threaded pass from Didier Konan to bring his side back on level terms.
Konan threatened again for the visitors before Standard finished well, Zieler reacting superbly to tip an overhead kick from Tchite round the post before Kanu's headed follow-up sailed over the bar.
The hosts had their last chance to win it in injury time when Zieler parried a close-range Martins Felipe header, and Tchite missed a golden opportunity when he flashed the rebound wide from six yards.
