AUDIO: THW Kiel with a lackluster win in Bern (1 min)
As of: November 11, 2025 10:47 p.m
Handball record champions THW Kiel have mastered the compulsory task of BSV Bern in the fight for group victory in the European League. Coach Filip Jicha’s team won 35:27 (18:16) against the Swiss on Tuesday evening and celebrated their third success in the third game.
However, the people of Schleswig-Holstein had a difficult time against the blatant outsiders for a long time. In the meantime, the “Zebras” were even three goals behind against the Bernese after-work handball players.
In the end, there was a lackluster victory for the THW, whose players certainly already had the next “B” in the back of their minds: after Bern, Berlin is waiting for Kiel in the top Bundesliga game next Saturday (6 p.m.). And the Foxes, who are known to be champions, will certainly be a bigger challenge for the North Germans than the Swiss runner-up was.
THW with two young professionals in the starting seven
The THW started almost 50 hours after its Bundesliga game against Bergischer HC with a young starting seven. The 20-year-old goalkeeper Leon Nowottny and the backcourt player Rasmus Ankermann, who are two years younger than him, were two top talents who rarely get a chance, who were on the pitch for the Kiel team for the first time from the start.
Jicha wanted to use the duel with the Swiss, where, with the exception of Swede Hannes Nyström, all players and coach David Staudenmann have another job, to experiment. And of course also to give some of the regular employees a breather.
This approach was by no means a sign of arrogance, but rather an expression of the trust that Jicha has in his squad. But in the first section his protégés only partially repaid the Czech. The Schleswig-Holsteiners showed a brittle and unfocused handball performance in the first 30 minutes.
Keel with weak throwing rate and poor retraction behavior
After a quick 3-1 lead, the devil of a mistake crept in at THW. In the attack, the North Germans warmed up Bern’s goalkeeper Mathieu Seravalli with hasty shots. And the “Zebras'” retreat behavior was not even suitable for the second division at times.
The home team, on the other hand, were totally focused and, above all, motivated to the core. After 17 minutes, the blatant outsider surprisingly led 12:9. The ball sports hall in Gümligen was boiling. At least: Kiel didn’t allow the heated atmosphere to upset them any further. In the final phase of the first period, the guests finally made better use of their physical and individual superiority and took a two-goal lead.
Kiel continues without esprit, but calm
The THW could once again rely on the goals from backcourt ace Elias Ellefsen a Skipagötu.
Even after the break, the 60 or so THW fans who traveled to the Alpine republic initially saw a sluggish performance from their team. The team mixed up by Jicha, in which A-youth player Johann Rohwer made his debut, harmonized suboptimally in both defense and attack until the middle of the second round.
But the Kiel stars around shooter Elias Ellefsen and Skipagötu were at least reliable. Whenever it was necessary, the regulars took over the scepter and ensured the necessary goals. In addition, the home team’s strength was increasingly dwindling. The Jicha team was able to pull ahead by four goals (26:22/43.) and then calmly played down the clock.
