Germany captain Michael Ballack made his first start since September on Friday as his Bayer Leverkusen side defeated Hanover 2-0 to cut the gap on Bundesliga leaders Dortmund to eight points.

Arturo Vidal gave Leverkusen a 21st-minute lead with Simon Rolfes adding the second goal three minutes before the interval as Ballack, who had been sidelined with a leg injury since September, injected a little life back into the title race.