Hannover coach Mirko Slomka praised his side's fighting spirit after they managed to beat Lower Saxony rivals Wolfsburg 2-1 on Saturday against all the odds.
The Reds lost new signing Sebastien Pocognoli to a red card in the first half while Mario Eggimann then had to leave the field with a fractured ankle which could rule him out for the rest of the season.
However, they still managed to hold on to all three points against a strong Wolfsburg side.
"Wolfsburg were really impressive," said Slomka. "We knew that they are really good passing the ball around and that they have first-class players among the ranks.
"They pretty much tore us apart with an extra man, but we resisted vehemently and fought in every situation, in every tackle, and we were very effective taking our chances.
"The incidents - the red card, the serious injury - kept knocking us back, but the team was fantastic and gave everything.
"Of course we had a bit of luck, a very good goalkeeper and our defence had a much better day than a week ago."
Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking was at odds to explain his side's first defeat under his guidance.
"To begin with, you are certainly very frustrated as coach of Wolfsburg after a game like this," he said.
"I think we played a fantastic game, not only when we had the extra man but also before that.
"We were beaten by their brutal efficiency. They had two shots, and scored two goals."
