Hannover 96 II vs Havelse

The opening 45 minutes produced few clear chances. Barlemann's young side, with three external signings (Elias Ali, Levent Aycicek, Niko Gießelmann) and eight players promoted from the U19, took time to settle against a more experienced Havelse outfit.

"They needed a moment to accept that and shed the respect," Barlemann told Hannover 96's official website. "After we were braver in possession, our play became really good."

The breakthrough came after the restart. Fin-Luca Rüdiger put the hosts ahead, finishing a move that reflected the increased confidence Barlemann had demanded.

Havelse responded through new signing Kwasi Okyere Wriedt, the 31-year-old striker who joined from Alemannia Aachen earlier in July. Wriedt's equaliser briefly restored parity for the visitors.

Oskar Schwarz then restored Hannover's lead, and further pressure produced a third goal to seal the 3-1 result. The identity of the third scorer was not confirmed in club sources at the time of writing.

All four goals arrived in the second half, a pattern consistent with this fixture's history — five of the last six meetings between these sides have gone over 2.5 goals.

Hannover's first 20 minutes were tentative. The home side struggled with the physicality and tempo of a 3. Liga opponent. But once Barlemann's side shed their early caution and began playing with greater intent in possession, the game shifted decisively. Rüdiger's opener broke Havelse's resistance, and the response after Wriedt's equaliser showed maturity beyond the squad's average age.

Fin-Luca Rüdiger — Scored the opening goal that unlocked the match and set the tone for Hannover's second-half dominance.

Oskar Schwarz — Provided the crucial second goal that restored Hannover's lead immediately after Havelse had drawn level, killing any visiting momentum.

Kwasi Okyere Wriedt (Havelse) — The veteran striker scored his first goal for the club since arriving from Aachen, showing the composure that made him a priority summer signing. His movement troubled Hannover's young defence.

The 0-0 half-time scoreline reflects a side still integrating: 11 new arrivals meant Hannover needed time to build cohesion. The second-half flurry of four goals aligns with the fixture's history — this derby has averaged 4.0 goals per match across six meetings since 2019, with 83% (5/6) producing over 2.5 goals. That context matters for pre-season reading: Hannover's fitness and tactical sharpness grew markedly as the game wore on.

Hannover 96 II finish their pre-season with a 2-3 record across friendlies, following wins over Rot-Weiß Erfurt and SC Verl II (8-0) and losses to Chemie Leipzig and SC Wiedenbrück. Barlemann used the Havelse match to finalise his leadership group: Manuel Braun was confirmed as captain, Tim van den Heuvel as vice-captain, with Abdoulaye Gueye, Aycicek and Gießelmann completing the team council.

Havelse, preparing for the 3. Liga season, will want to address defensive lapses — they conceded three times in one half despite a solid first 45 minutes.

Next up: Hannover 96 II begin their Regionalliga Nord campaign away at Bremer SV on Saturday, 1 August 2026 (15:30 CEST). Havelse's next pre-season fixture was not confirmed at the time of writing.

A game of two distinct halves. Hannover 96 II's young side showed composure after conceding an equaliser, a positive sign for Barlemann's first competitive season. Havelse matched their hosts for 45 minutes but faded after the interval. The 3-1 scoreline was a fair reflection of the second-half balance of play.