A look at the opposition, the numbers and the history ahead of the trip to the Reds.
Call it what you will. Either way, it is a fixture with plenty riding on it: on Sunday, the Wolves face Hannover 96 from 13:30. For their first away game of the new season, the Wolves and all travelling fans can expect a sell-out crowd in Hannover. Everyone involved in this local derby will be well aware that there is far more than just three points at stake at the former Niedersachsenstadion.
First meeting came against the champions
Before the two clubs meet for the 60th time in a competitive fixture on Sunday, it is worth looking back more than 70 years: on 3 October 1954, the Green-and-Whites and 96 faced each other in a competitive match for the first time. The Wolves lost 3-2 to the reigning German champions that day, back when both teams were still playing in the Oberliga Nord, then the highest level of German football.
A lot of time has passed since then, however: Hannover, who were among the first teams to win promotion to the Bundesliga in 1964, initially spent ten years in the German top flight before being relegated for the first time in the 1973/1974 season. With the introduction of the two-division 2. Bundesliga, of which the Wolves were founder members, 96 won the second-tier title, only to be relegated straight back out of the Bundesliga the following season. Apart from two seasons in the Regionalliga from 1996 to 1998, the club have moved between the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga ever since. Hannover have been promoted and relegated six times apiece. The Reds did achieve something remarkable in 1992, though, when they beat five Bundesliga sides in the cup under head coach Michael Lorkowski before becoming the first 2. Bundesliga club to lift the DFB Cup.
Memories of a debut
It is a little over eight years since a current Wolf made his professional debut against Hannover 96. In the away game on 28 January 2018, the then 20-year-old Elvis Rexhbecaj came on for Daniel Didavi in the closing stages. Rexhbecaj could no longer influence the result, but there was no need to – the Wolves won the Lower Saxony derby 1-0. Yunus Malli scored the goal from a Marcel Tisserand assist. Also in action for 96 that day, incidentally: VfL sporting director Pirmin Schwegler.
2. Bundesliga ever-presents
One season later, on 6 April 2019, the Wolves faced Hannover for what remains the most recent meeting between the two sides. While the Green-and-Whites kept the three points in Wolfsburg with a 3-1 home win, 96 finished the season in 17th place and were relegated from the Bundesliga. The Lower Saxony state capital is therefore now embarking on its eighth consecutive season in the 2. Bundesliga – the same as Karlsruher SC and 1. FC Nürnberg. No other current second-tier club has been in the division continuously for longer.
When the Wolves last played at the Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena …
… the stadium was still called the HDI-Arena. Located near the Maschsee, the arena was built in 1954 under the name “Niedersachsenstadion”, by which it is still commonly known. The naming rights were sold in 2002: the stadium was initially called the “AWD-Arena”, then the “HDI-Arena” from 2013, before receiving its current name, “Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena”, in 2022. Following several renovations, the stadium now has a capacity of 49,000.
And today?
96 began the season with defeat against FC Energie Cottbus and currently sit 16th in the 2. Bundesliga table, although the standings are of course hardly meaningful at this stage. 96 head coach Christian Titz will be able to call on new signing Marcel Hartel for tomorrow’s game, among others. The Reds strengthened their attacking options shortly before Matchday 2 by bringing in Hartel from MLS club St. Louis City SC. 96 will, however, be without William Kokolo, Noah Engelbreth and Virgil Ghita through injury.
More facts and figures:
- Renovations in Lower Saxony: It is not only VfL Wolfsburg who have replaced their seats this calendar year; upgrades have also been carried out a few kilometres away. While the seats at the Volkswagen Arena are green, white and green, Hannover’s stadium is decked out in the club colours of green, white and black.
- Nine out of ten: The hosts won the last game in Hannover 2-1. However, it was the only one of the last ten meetings in which VfL failed to pick up a point. The Wolves won six of those games, with three ending in draws.
- Chances at both ends: H96 lost their opening game of the 2026/2027 season 3-1 to FC Energie Cottbus. They certainly had opportunities to start the new campaign with points, however: the Reds registered 27 shots on Matchday 1. No other club underperformed their Expected Goals figure (one goal from 2.7 xG) by such a wide margin. The Wolves, however, rank second in that regard with a figure of 1.3 xG.
- Reese only prefers scoring against KSC: Fabian Reese has registered a total of nine direct goal involvements against Hannover 96 (three goals, six assists), with only Karlsruher SC yielding more (ten). That includes the only game in which the then-Kiel player was directly involved in four goals against the Reds (one goal, three assists).
H96’s German championships
- 1938: First title, secured with a 4-3 win after extra time in a replay of the final against FC Schalke 04
- 1954: Second title, secured with a 5-1 win in the final against 1. FC Kaiserslautern
