Ex-Leicester striker Andrej Kramaric scored a brilliant hat-trick as Hoffenheim moved into the Champions League places with a 3-1 victory over Hannover.
Julian Nagelsmann’s team won a third straight Bundesliga game to move into the top four ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, who can regain fourth spot with a victory over Stuttgart on Saturday.
It was Croatian Kramaric who opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Salif Sane’s woeful back-pass was seized upon by Serge Gnabry, allowing him to present Kramaric with a tap-in.
The visitors replied soon after, though, as ex-Hoffenheim midfielder Pirmin Schwegler squared for Kenan Karaman to level.
Kramaric restored Hoffenheim’s lead after the break, having been left all alone to drive home an unstoppable right-footed volley direct from Kerem Demirbay’s corner.
And Kramaric wrapped up the victory four minutes from time by collecting a long clearance on his chest and lifting over goalkeeper Philipp Tschauner from 25 yards out after the keeper had been caught off his line.
