Handball Bundesliga team Flensburg-Handewitt has stayed in touch with the top group. The won on Saturday evening (October 21, 2023). Team by coach Nicolej Krickau with 27:22 (16:12) at HC Erlangen. It was the first away win of the season.
The Schleswig-Holsteiners initially needed a bit of a start to get into the game. After an increase in performance from the 20th minute onwards, however, they became more dominant and in the end achieved a befitting success, which was based in particular on a solid defense and a strong performance from goalkeeper Kevin Möller. The best throwers for the guests were Kay Smits and Emil Jakobsen with seven hits each.
Smits praises the defense
With their sixth win of the season, the Schleswig-Holsteiners have 14:6 points in the Bundesliga and remain close to the top teams from Berlin, Melsungen and Magdeburg.
Smits was “very relieved about the first away win” on the “Dyn” streaming service. He particularly praised the teamwork and positional play between goalkeeper Möller and the defense. The only downer for Coach Krickau in this overall mature performance: backcourt ace Simon Pytlick injured his ankle at the beginning of the second half.
Flensburg finds it difficult to get into the game
It was 5:5 in an even opening phase (10th). Erlangen’s Simon Jeppsson gave a team its first two-goal lead. The hosts played with compact coverage and offered the SG little opportunity to showcase their backcourt.
As well as the HC’s defense shifted, the guests initially played with little determination. The 20th minute brought the turning point in the first half: Johannes Goller made a nice block in the circle, was played and scored to make it 8:8.
Improvement in offense and defense
The Flensburg game now became more consistent, the defensive work became more effective, the attacks became clearer in their structure – and again and again in this phase it was passes to the circle that brought success. Smits gave Schleswig-Holstein their first two-goal lead (10:8, 23rd).
Shorthand: HC Erlangen – SG Flensburg-Handewitt 22:27 (12:16)
Goals for Erlangen: Bissel (5), Büdel (3), Olsson (3), Steinert (3), Firnhaber (2), Metzner (2), Heiny (1), Jeppsson (1), Svensson (1), Zechel (1)
Goals for Flensburg: Jakobsen (7/1), Smits (7/1), Gottfridsson (4), Möller (4), Golla (2), Hansen (1), Larsen (1), Pedersen (1)
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Now Möller also became a factor: the hosts only managed one goal in around ten minutes. The Krickau team extended its lead to five goals, Jakobsen scored after a quick middle to make it 14:9 (27th). The guests went into the break with a score of 16:12.
Strong coverage, strong Möller
At the start of the second half, Flensburg were more awake than at the start of the game. Lasse Möller made it six goals ahead for the first time five minutes after the restart (19:13). In defense, the 6-0 defense hardly allowed an orderly attack by the Franconians, who were increasingly desperate. And if the hosts got through, Möller unnerved them time and time again.
With his 750th Bundesliga goal, Jim Gottfridsson made it 21:14 (39th). The only downer in this very mature phase of the SG was Pytlick’s injury, who had to be led to the dressing room with support (40th).
Apart from a small phase of weakness with several technical errors around the 50th minute, the guests didn’t let anything go wrong thanks to the strong Möller/Deckung connection and were able to celebrate a deserved victory.
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Sports current | Oct 21, 2023 | 9:17 p.m
