On the 21st matchday of the women’s handball Bundesliga, Sachsen Zwickau gained important points in the relegation battle with a 28:25 (14:11) victory over Sport-Union Neckarsulm. Also because the injury-hit guests were never able to get top scorer Silje Petersen (11 goals) under control.
They were bitter days for the Sport-Union Neckarsulm in the run-up to the game against Zwickau. On the one hand, the fears surrounding Munia Smits were confirmed. The captain tore her anterior cruciate ligament during the derby win against Metzingen. On the other hand, Angunn Gudmestad will be out. The Norwegian broke her fibula during training during the week.
This further exacerbated the already tense personnel situation. In addition to Gudmestad and Smits, head coach Thomas Zeitz is currently also missing Kamila Kordovska, Alessia Riner and Lilli Holste. In total, the sports union has to do without five players – especially in the hot phase of the Bundesliga shortly before the playoffs.
Neckarsulm with many failures in the final spurt of the season
Nevertheless, coach Zeitz wanted “stay in the flow” and the “real shitty week” behind themselves and the team. That didn’t work against the Saxons, who were threatened with relegation. After a balanced start, the hosts went ahead with a 3-0 run to 9:6 (17th minute). In this phase, the guests remained for around eight minutes without a goal of their own.
Thanks to three goals from national team captain Antje Döll, the sixth-place team remained within striking distance until the break, Charlotte Kähr scored before the break to make the score 14:11 at halftime. After halftime, Alicia Soffel in particular fought back against a defeat in the Neckarsulm women’s last game in the main round. The backcourt player scored in the 38th minute to make it 17:18.
Zwickau uses a 5-0 run Preliminary decision
In the final phase, it was Petersen’s goals and the hosts’ wider bench that made the preliminary decision. Another goal drought of around eight minutes allowed the Zwickau team to pull away with a 5-0 run to make it 23:17. The guests were able to reduce this deficit, but the team from Baden-Württemberg was no longer able to stage a comeback.
