Hannover 96 vs SV Darmstadt Predictions

Hannover welcome Darmstadt to HDI-Arena on Monday evening as they look to move out of the dreaded drop zone. The visitors, who’re only a point above the hosts, are also looking to take a step away from trouble.

After being relegated from the top division at the end of last season, Hannover would’ve been hoping to establish themselves as one of the front runners this term. Unfortunately, they’ve done quite the opposite. After 13 matches, Hannover, who’re sat in a lowly 16th place, aren’t fighting for promotion but, instead, survival.

Somewhat oddly, Monday’s hosts haven’t done that badly away from home, but the pressures of playing in front of a home crowd have got to them, as they’re without a home win despite playing six times at HDI-Arena. A lack of goals has certainly blighted Hannover, who’ve notched just three goals on their own patch. No team in the division has scored fewer than Mirko Slomka’s men. They’ve not been as poor defensively as some of the teams around them in the table, though given their lack of goals, that’s not exactly done them any favours.

Fortunately for the hosts, Darmstadt have struggled to get going on their travels. The visitors come into this fixture having won just one in seven on the road. They’ve lost four of the other six, shipping 12 goals in the process. Like Hannover, who also rank in the bottom eight when it comes to shots for, Darmstadt’s struggles stem from a lack of attacking power. They’ve scored just five goals on the road, failing to score in three out of seven.

As far as betting on this fixture goes, a lack of goals appeals. Specifically, ‘Under 2.5 Goals’ catches the eye. Hannover have struggled to win at home, while much the same can be said for Darmstadt on the road, but it is the offensive struggles of both that really stand out. Hannover have found it tough to create regular scoring chances at home, which has culminated in them notching an average of just 0.5 goals. Darmstadt haven’t been quite as bad on their travels, but they’ve been by no means good, averaging only 0.71 goals for. Moreover, Hannover have made a habit of keeping the score down at HDI-Arena, where less than three goals have been scored in five out of six.

In the ‘Correct Score’ market, a 1-0 win for the hosts is our choice. Hannover may still be without a home win, but their defensive displays have been better than Darmstadt’s exploits on the road. If they can defend as they have done in either of their last two at HDI-Arena, the hosts can edge out their low-scoring visitors.