A relegation "six-pointer"

A trip with colleague Karl-Heinz to watch SC Freiburg's Bundesliga fixture versus Hannover 96 was on the agenda yesterday. EUR 12 for a ticket on the terraces at a first-division match, plus beer and bratwurst - you can't beat German football.

Snowfall earlier in the day had put the match in doubt, but the match eventually went ahead - thanks to the help of some Freiburg fans with shovels. Going into yesterday's match, both clubs were third and fourth from bottom respectively, with Hannover just three points behind Freiburg. Still reeling from Robert Enke's tragic death, the visitors hadn't won a match since the end of October. SC Freiburg hadn't won since the end of November. Consequently, there was a lot riding on Saturday's game.

Freiburg were rather mediocre, if truth be told. They missed a couple of sitters, and some of their defending was shoddy - Hannover's first goal being a case in point. An equaliser from the home team came not long after, only for the visitors to then benefit from a deflection and score what proved to be the winner; 2-1 to Hannover.

Robin Dutt's Freiburg are away at Bayern next.

Still, it was an enjoyable excursion, as always, if somewhat wintry - thanks to the snow which continued falling on us throughout much of the second half (we were only standing in the lower part of the Nordtribüne).