Lukas Podolski scored one and set up another on Friday to inspire Cologne to a 4-0 win over Hannover 96, extending his side’s run of victories at home in the Bundesliga to six.
The German international rounded Florian Fromlowitz for his 11th goal of the season in the 60th minute and set up Milivoje Novakovic for a simple tap-in.
Petit opened the scoring against the run of play from a free-kick in the 36th minute and Novakovic scored his second in the final minute.
Photo: AFP
Fromlowitz produced a stunning double save to prevent an own-goal by Emanuel Pogatetz in the 57th minute when Podolski’s dangerous cross came off the defender’s shin.
Cologne rise to 10th, while Hannover remain third, 14 points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund ahead of the rest of the weekend’s games.
Hannover, missing top scorer Didier Ya Konan because of a knee injury, started brightly and Cologne goalkeeper Michael Rensing was called into action to deny Jan Schlaudraff in the ninth minute. He then thwarted Konstantin Rausch with a flying save three minutes later.
“We can thank him that he kept us in the game,” Podolski said.
Former Cologne player Ron-Robert Zieler started in goal for Hannover and the 22-year-old goalkeeper was alert to stop a volley from Christian Eichner in the 15th minute.
However, the visitors created more chances. Mohammed Abdellaoue’s curling effort was deflected narrowly wide and Schlaudraff created a good opening, but drove his shot wide in the 31st minute.
“We actually started well,” Hannover defender Christian Schulz said. “We had plenty of chances, but didn’t take them.”
Petit’s free-kick came after a foul by Karim Haggui on the edge of the area. The former Portugal midfielder fired low through the wall for his first goal of the season.
“We made it too easy for Cologne,” Schlaudraff said. “We should have been leading.”
Zieler sustained a shoulder injury and eventually made way for Fromlowitz in the 52nd minute.
Podolski beat the offside trap to claim Cologne’s second, before Steven Cherundolo — playing in his 250th Bundesliga game since joining Hannover in 1999 — gave away the foul that led to Cologne’s third in the 79th minute. Cologne worked the ball from the free-kick to Podolski, who teed up Novakovic for an easy finish to make the game safe.
Novakovic rounded off the scoring and equaled Podolski’s tally for the season when he rose above Haggui to knock in substitute Adil Chihi’s cross.
Cologne’s last run of six home wins in a row was in 1987.
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