Stepantsev, Steffens Schiesst Emden to 3-2 Comeback in Hannover

Kickers Emden schiesst its way to a 3-2 win at Hannover 96 II and kept its league run moving with a fifth straight victory. The comeback came on Wednesday evening in a postponed match, after Emden had twice been forced to chase the game.

Stepantsev Opens, Steffens Finishes

Stepantsev put Emden ahead after three minutes, but van den Heuvel answered in the 23rd minute and Vogel turned it around for Hannover 96 II ten minutes later. Emden did not blink after the second setback.

Schröder leveled the match at 2-2 in the 54th minute, and Steffens converted a penalty six minutes later for the decisive goal. That left Emden with 3-2 on the scoreboard and all three points from a game that had swung both ways before the hour mark.

Hannover 96 II Lets Lead Slip

The sequence told the story of the match: Emden led first, fell behind 2-1, then recovered again. For Hannover 96 II, the late penalty erased the advantage built by van den Heuvel and Vogel.

The result also sharpened the stakes for both clubs in the season’s closing stretch. It was the third-to-last league game for each side, with Hannover 96 II trying to protect its spot as number one behind the leading quartet and Emden pushing for the upper half of the table after a mixed season.

Emden’s Five-Game Run

Five league wins in a row now sit behind Emden, which had already put together four straight league victories before this trip to Hannover. The latest one came the hard way, but it keeps the club on the right side of the late-season table race and rewards a side that responded each time the match turned against it.