Wolfsburg finally got their Bundesliga challenge off the ground this afternoon with a welcome 2-0 win at home to Hannover after three successive defeats.

Second-half goals from Diego and Edin Dzeko earned Steve McClaren's men victory at the fourth time of asking this season. Hannover looked poor throughout the contest and the result marked their first defeat of the campaign to leave them five points behind early leaders Mainz.

Despite coming into the match without a win, Wolfsburg dominated from the whistle and Dzeko should have scored with their first chance after eight minutes, but instead turned Marcel Schafer's pinpoint cross over the bar from close range.

Schafer had their next opening with a 14th-minute volley from the edge of the area which whistled past the right post, and the home side continued to push forward in numbers as Grafite forced a diving save from Hannover goalkeeper Florian Fromlowitz with his header.

However, they had to wait until 10 minutes after the restart to find the net thanks to boot of Diego. Peter Pekarik's cross from the right was deflected towards the Brazilian summer signing, who brought the crowd to their feet with his precise overhead kick.

Dzeko then added a deserved second goal after 67 minutes, making the most of a slip in the area from Fromlowitz to dribble the ball round the keeper and into the net. Wolfsburg had further chances to add to their tally, but Dzeko directed his header wide after 73 minutes while Grafite scooped a free-kick from Thomas Kahlenberg over the crossbar.