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Hannover play on
Team play first match since death of keeper Robert Enke as Bremen go top of Bundesliga.
Last Modified: 21 Nov 2009 20:12 GMT

Fans remember Enke at the match at Schalke's ground in Gelsenkirchen [GALLO/GETTY]
Hannover 96 played their first match since the death of goalkeeper Robert Enke as they lost 2-0 to Schalke 04 in the German Bundesliga, which held minute silences at all matches.

Schalke moved into third place after Jefferson Farfan headed in the first and substitute Jan Moravek, who came on for the Peruvian striker, added a second with his first touch in stoppage time.

Werder Bremen demolished Freiburg 6-0 with five goals in 27 minutes to go top.

Portuguese striker Hugo Almeida struck twice with Marko Marin and Mesut Ozil making it 4-0.

Defender Naldo converted a 73rd-minute penalty before Markus Rosenberg completed the rout eight minutes from time.

Bremen, on 26 points, are top on goal difference ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, who travel to Bayern Munich on Sunday.

"We played an outstanding match," Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said on Saturday.

"I have to congratulate my team because after the break (for international friendlies) my players quickly found their footing in this match. They just kept getting stronger."

Babbel pressure

Hoffenheim are two points behind in fourth after defeating Cologne 4-0 while VfB Stuttgart salvaged a 1-1 draw against bottom Hertha Berlin, piling more pressure on coach Markus Babbel as they lie in 16th place.

Results & fixtures

Saturday November 21

 Cologne 0-4 Hoffenheim
 Frankfurt 1-2  M'gladbach
 Freiburg 0-6 W Bremen
 Schalke 2-0 Hanover 
 Stuttgart 1-1 H'tha Berlin
 Wolfsburg 2-3 Nuremberg
 Dortmund 0-0 Mainz

Sunday November 22

 Bayern Munich v L'kusen
 Hamburg v Bochum

Champions VfL Wolfsburg twice came from a goal down to level against visitors Nuremberg, who snatched the three points with the last kick of the match when Peer Kluge struck on the break.

All the matches started with a minute's silence in memory of Enke, who committed suicide last week.

Bremen, without injured captain Torsten Frings, top striker Claudio Pizarro and Tim Borowski, took the lead against Freiburg through Almeida who headed in a cross from Ozil in the 33rd minute.

Freiburg keeper Simon Pouplin's spectacular saves allowed them to go into the break with a one-goal deficit but Bremen shot out of the blocks in the second half, doubling their lead with a well-struck Marin free kick in the 55th.

Almeida made it 3-0 two minutes later and Ozil beat Pouplin from close range before Naldo scored from the spot in the 73rd and Rosenberg netted.

Source:
Agencies
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