Sandro Wagner is still searching for his first win as head coach of Hannover 96 following a 1–1 draw against FC St. Pauli in the 2. Bundesliga. Playing before an ausgebucht crowd of 48,700, Hannover fell behind just before halftime when Abdoulie Ceesay scored in stoppage time, before Husseyn Chakroun equalized early in the second half. The result leaves Hannover in 12th place in the league table with eight points.

A Disallowed Opener and St. Pauli’s Halftime Advantage

The fixture between the two traditional clubs quickly devolved into the physical contest St. Pauli head coach Marcel Rapp had anticipated. Hannover thought they had taken the lead after nine minutes when Husseyn Chakroun found the back of the net, but the video assistant referee intervened to rule out the effort for offside. Wagner spent the opening frame actively patrolling his technical area, at times gesturing wildly before watching Virgil Ghitas hit the crossbar with a header in the 29th minute. Just as the first half drew to a close, St. Pauli capitalized when Ceesay headed in from close range in the first minute of stoppage time.

Chakroun Strikes Back After the Interval

Trailing at the break once more following a week that included a 3–0 defeat at Magdeburg, Wagner challenged his squad in the locker room to maintain their intensity. The message yielded an immediate response when Chakroun leveled the score at 1–1 in the 48th minute. Another VAR review followed, checking for a potential offside infraction, but this time the referee allowed the goal to stand. St. Pauli nearly snatched all three points later in the half, with Arkadiusz Pyrka testing Hannover goalkeeper Leo Weinkauf in the 65th minute before Ceesay struck the post in the 73rd minute.

Managing Expectations Amid Fitness Concerns

Speaking after the final whistle, Hannover sporting director Jonas Boldt addressed the club’s trajectory and immediate goals for the campaign. Acknowledging that the squad is still working through physical and athletic deficits, Boldt tempered any premature talk of promotion to the top flight. “We have already said that there are a few deficits to catch up on in terms of fitness,” Boldt told Sky, noting that building the team will take time. “The promotion doesn’t happen overnight. You have to go deeper into it. So maybe take smaller steps first and work. The word ‘promotion’ shouldn’t be mentioned for now.”

Preparation for the Niedersachsen-Derby

With eight points collected and the team sitting 12th in the standings—while St. Pauli occupies seventh place with 11 points—Hannover turns its attention toward the upcoming regional rivalry match. Wagner’s side will travel to face Eintracht Braunschweig next weekend in the high-stakes Niedersachsen-Derby.