With eleven goals, Niels Gerardus Versteijnen was the outstanding player for TBV Lemgo Lippe in the 28:27 (12:15) win against Bergischer HC in the Handball Bundesliga on Saturday evening.
During the week, both teams had prepared themselves for the NRW duel with cup successes. Lemgo booked their ticket to the Final Four in Cologne (April 18/19) with a win at Bundesliga bottom club Leipzig on Wednesday, while the BHC surprisingly knocked last year’s finalist Melsungen out of the race a day later.
Bergischer HC has been unbeaten in seven home games
Lemgo was not only favorite because of the slightly longer break, but also because it was the duel between third and 15th in the table. was. The Lemgoers had already won the first leg in their own hall with 28:25. In the second leg, two series also met: Lemgo had been unbeaten in seven competitive games across all competitions, while Bergische had been unbeaten in seven home games.
The hosts got off to a better start. Johannes Wasielewski, who recently extended his contract for three years, opened the game with two goals, and after Aron Seesing’s goal to make it 6:3 (9th minute), the BHC even led by three goals.
BHC has the best thrower and the better keeper in the first half
The team coached by Arnor Gunnarsson and Markus Pütz had several chances to pull ahead by four goals: After Christopher Rudeck parried a seven-meter penalty from Samuel Zehnder (23′) and against Joël Willecke (26′), who had been released in the circle. The BHC failed to extend its lead in each case.
The fact that the score remained at three goals (15:12) after Lemgoer Tim Sutton’s artistically awarded last free throw (30th) was still a respectable success at halftime. This was due, among other things, to the fact that Rudeck was ahead with a save rate of 40 percent (8 saves) in the goalkeeper duel with Constantin Möstl (25 percent/6 saves) and the BHC also had the best goalscorer in Wasielewski (6 goals).
The second half initially proved to be tough in terms of scoring, but the Lemgo team stalked forward. In the 40th minute, Zehnder had the chance to equalize 17:17 from the seven-meter point, but Rudeck failed again. Tomas Babak increased the lead to 18:16 (41st) for the BHC, and Seesing increased it to 19:16 (42nd) after a two-minute penalty against Suton.
BHC player sees red card after Möstl advance
Lemgo’s goalkeeper Möstl obviously didn’t like that at all, as he stood far in front after intercepting the ball and moved towards the opponent’s goal. His throw clearly missed the goal, but Gerdas Babarskas took it out of the air so roughly that the BHC player was shown a red card for serious fouls (44th).
Now the Lemgoers were in motion. Jarnes Faust (44th) and Frederik Simak (46th) reduced the score to 18:19 and Niels Gerardus Versteijnen gave the guests their first equalizer since the 7th minute with a double strike to make it 20:20 in the 47th minute. The Dutchman added the goals to make it 21:21 and 22:22 and took the seven-meter penalty that gave Lemgo the chance to take the lead, which he himself converted to make it 23:22 (51st).
Schöttle and Beyer give BHC hope for an equalizer
After Möstl’s tenth save, Willecke was able to increase the lead at the circle to two goals, but put the ball over the crossbar as a touchdown. The game was now on a knife edge and Versteijnen remained the outstanding player in the final phase. He countered Noah Beyer’s 23:23 equalizer from seven meters with a 24:23 lead for the TBV (54th). That was his sixth goal in a row.
He also made it 25:24 before another Lemgoer was able to celebrate again at 26:25 in Lukas Hutecek (57th). When Versteijnen increased the score to two goals again (58′), the BHC couldn’t afford any more mistakes. Actually he didn’t. Nico Schöttle and Beyer equalized in the last minute (60th) – the latter worth seeing with a throw behind the back.
Versteijnen scores the decisive goal
The difference in the second half that evening was made by Versteijnen, who scored his ninth goal 23 seconds before the end to make it 28:27 in the final quarter of an hour, while the strongest man of the first half – Wasielewski – failed with his last attempt. In addition, Möstl ultimately intercepted his counterpart Rudeck (30 percent) with a save rate of 32 percent.
Both teams will continue on Boxing Day. After a broken home series, the BHC has to play away at SG Flensburg-Handewitt (December 26, 2025/5:30 p.m.). Lemgo hosts HSG Wetzlar at the same time and is now unbeaten in eight competitive games.
Our sources:
- Game Bergischer HC against TBV Lemgo Lippe on December 20th, 2025 on DYN
Broadcast: WDR.de“Lemgo with the better end in the NRW duel”, 12/20/20259:40 p.m
