Hannover, Stuttgart draw 0-0 in Bundesliga

Berlin, April 26 (IANS) Hannover and Stuttgart were unable to break the deadlock after 90 minutes at the curtain raiser of the 31st round of Bundesliga.

Stuttgart remained unbeaten in their fourth consecutive game but failed to earn vital points in their relegation battle Friday. Meanwhile, Hannover practically earned their berth for the next season in the top flight with their nine-point advantage to 16th placed Hamburg with three rounds to spare, reports Xinhua.

Both sides staged a fast paced encounter but Stuttgart worked out better opportunities. The 'Swabians' had a goal called offside just 16 minutes into the game when Cacau deflected Ibrahima Traore's effort.

Later in the second half, Hannover's Szabolcs Huszti pulled wide from sharp angle. However, Stuttgart took over and continued to create more chances before Cacau missed the target with his volley (53rd minute).

Hannover's Lars Stindl nearly punished Stuttgart but custodian Sven Ulreich saved his side. Stuttgart still have to fear relegation as they sit 15th with 32 points, five clear of a relegation playoff spot while Hannover jumped from 14th to 11th place.