Record champions THW Kiel have found their way back to success in the handball Bundesliga and have underlined their ambitions for a place in the European Cup.
The Zebras, who are about to be replaced as champions, won on Monday / May 20th, 2024) against the traditional club FA Göppingen 32:27 (17:13) and consolidated their fourth place (44:18) ahead of their pursuers MT Melsungen (41:23). At the same time, the hosts rehabilitated themselves for their home defeat against the Rhein-Neckar Löwen the previous week around three weeks before the Champion League semi-final against FC Barcelona (June 8th).
Kiel was always superior to the guests who had already been saved from relegation and never fell behind. The home team’s best thrower was once again the Swede Eric Johansson with nine hits. Göppingen’s most successful players were the five-time goalscorers Josip Sarac and Marcel Schiller.
BHC preserves minimal chance with a draw
The Bergische HC has, however, preserved the minimal chance of securing its place in the league. BHC left winger Noah Beyer saved the hosts, who are threatened with relegation, a point with a goal in the final second in the 31:31 (15:16) match against TBV Lemgo Lippe on Sunday.
As a result, HC Erlangen remains within reach in 16th place, two points behind. However, Beyer’s equalizer was highly controversial. Beyer had one foot out of bounds when he caught the previous pass, which the TV pictures showed. When checking the video, the referee duo only had one shot in which the foot was hidden, so the hit counted.
32nd matchday arrow right
The BHC now needs at least one win from the remaining two games to move past Erlangen, but they have tough challenges ahead of them in these games. On the 33rd matchday there is an away game against second-placed Füchse Berlin, and in the final home game the BHC hosts third-placed SG Flensburg-Handewitt.
The sticking point is HSV Hamburg
Due to the possible license revocation of HSV Hamburg, even 17th place could still be enough to stay in the league. The Hamburg team did not receive a license for the coming season for financial reasons, but want to have this decision revised before an independent arbitration tribunal.
In the second game on Whit Sunday, VfL Gummersbach had previously defeated the Rhein-Neckar Löwen 31:26 (15:15) and thus remains in the race for the international places in sixth place. Dominik Mappes from Gummersbach was the best scorer of the game with seven goals, in which the hosts were initially faced with a deficit at the start of the game, but finally overtook the lions in the middle of the second half.
Magdeburg stays at the top
SC Magdeburg is on a completely different scale. The cup winner, who also reached the Final Four in the Champions League and can therefore continue to hope for the triple, won a catch-up game on matchday 12 at HC Erlangen with 32:27 (17:14) and remains ahead of their pursuers in the table Foxes Berlin.
The Füchse won the parallel game 28:25 (14:13) at TSV Hannover-Burgdorf and are still level on points with the SCM, who, however, have played two fewer league games. The Foxes only have two games left and the decision in the fight for the championship is approaching.
Eisenach celebrates staying in the league against Flensburg
SG Flensburg-Handewitt also surprisingly lost 27:28 (13:14) to ThSV Eisenach on Saturday, who mathematically managed to stay in the league thanks to their success. The former champions from the far north, on the other hand, will most likely end the season in third place despite their sixth defeat of the season.
