AMSTERDAM – John Anthony Brooks made a triumphant return to the Hertha Berlin starting lineup under Friday night lights, helping the visitors score a 3-1 Bundesliga victory at Hannover 96.
The US international and his teammates held the Reds to just two shots on goal, while Salomon Kalou provided the offense with a hat trick. In addition to completing 45 of 50 passes, Brooks notched a game-best seven clearances, two tackles and a blocked shot. Thanks to their third straight road win across all competitions, Hertha tentatively grabbed fourth place.
One league below, Andrew Wooten and Sandhausen got their promotion drive back on track with a 1-0 victory away to Shawn Barry's FSV Frankfurt.
Both right wingers had quiet outings for their respective sides, with Wooten working all but stoppage time and Barry replaced in the 65th minute. Sandhausen conditionally moved to within a point of the all-important top three, while the home side stayed docked in 10th place.
Switching to England's second flight, Eric Lichaj went the distance as Nottingham Forest got well with a 1-0 defeat of visiting Derby County.
Lichaj's big moment at the back came when he picked off a centering feed on the Forest doorstep just before halftime. With the American contributing three tackles and three pass interceptions from right back, the Tricky Trees posted their first home win in nearly three months and their first clean sheet in almost two.
Finally, in Bulgaria's top flight, Litex Lovech ace Bjorn Maars Johnsen celebrated his 24th birthday with a goal and two assists in a 4-0 cruise past Slavia Sofia.
Just five minutes in, Johnsen chested down to set up Diogo Viana for his first helper of the term. He made it a quick pair on 39 minutes, crossing from the right for Kristian Malinov to convert.
Eventually, the North Carolina native bagged one himself, beating a marker to coolly deflect home a right-flank cross eight minutes after intermission. It was his sixth of the season, good enough for second place on the league scoring chart. Unbeaten in four, second-place Litex crept to within a point of Sunday combatants Levski Sofia.
