1. FC Magdeburg vs Hannover 96 — Tips & Analysis

1. FC Magdeburg +0: Magdeburg are strong at the Avnet Arena, and that is why we are with them. They have won 5 of their 8 home games there. When they win, they usually win clearly, by 2 or more goals in 8 of their last 17 games. They have lost by 2 or more only once in those 17. They score almost 2 goals a game and let in more than a goal, so they play on the front foot. Hannover arrive in worse shape than their scoring suggests. They sit 11th on 7 points from 6 games. Their big away goal numbers lean heavily on a 9-1 cup win at non-league Hemelingen, which tells us little about a trip here. Take that night out and the attack looks ordinary. Both sides come in close to full strength. Magdeburg miss only Loric and Hannover only Nielsen, and neither of them has played a league minute this season. So this comes down to the home platform, and a 2-1 to Magdeburg is the likely read. Be careful though. Hannover are hard to beat, with only 3 losses in their last 15 games, and they have won 6 of the last 11 meetings between these clubs. That history is the main thing standing in the way. We still think Magdeburg have enough to come out on top here.