The race for the championship in the women’s handball Bundesliga will be decided in the third playoff game between Borussia Dortmund and HSG Blomberg-Lippe. If the teams stay true to each other, it will be a very tight box again.
The Blomberger women hugged each other cheering, danced around the center circle, the hall went wild and coach Steffen Birkner looked touched into the audience. The Dortmund women, on the other hand, saw stunned faces. With a Buzzer beater Alexia Hauf ensured the 28:27 victory in the second final game in the Blomberg sports hall – and thus spoiled the possible Dortmund championship party for the time being.
“The damper is already big”said BVB playmaker Alina Grijseels after the game. “We would have liked to have done it quickly and I think it would have been possible.” After BVB’s (also) 28:27 victory in Dortmund in the first game, the championship would have been sealed with another victory. Now the decision will be made in the third playoff final game next Sunday – again in Blomberg.
Blomberger home strength
This is exactly what strengthens the HSG’s hope of bringing the title to East Westphalia. 1,300 spectators fit into the sports hall in Blomberg, and the tailwind from the stands for the team cannot be denied. HSG didn’t lose a single game at home. “We’re not losing here. And I think that means we’ll become German champions,” said playmaker Nieke Kühne with a view to next Sunday.
“I think we kept the hall quiet for a long time”Grijseels put their home advantage into perspective after game two. She and her BVB were ahead with four goals and controlled the game for long stretches. Then the hosts turned the game around. “You can tell that we don’t let ourselves get carried away.”said winning goal scorer Hauf, who, like the rest of the team, was bursting with self-confidence in view of BVB’s match point being fended off.
“Dortmund is thinking about it,” replied Kühne when asked whether the momentum was now with the HSG thanks to the last-minute win. “Of course they have the experience from the Champions League, we don’t have that. But we just don’t give up and I think they’ve noticed that now.”
Debut or double?
The backcourt player contributed eight goals to the victory. “She has a lot to shoulder.”Grijseels praised her national team colleague, with whom she won silver at the World Championships in December. “Overall, she’s doing extremely well – especially considering her age. She’s the most important player at Blomberg.” For Kühne and the HSG it would not only be the first German championship, but also the first club title in the handball Bundesliga.
The double is the goal for BVB: Coach Henk Groener’s team won the DHB Cup in March. “It’s a nice feeling, that’s why I want to experience it again with BVB”says Grijseels, who was able to celebrate the double with the French club Metz in 2023/24 and with the Romanian first division club Bucharest in 2024/25 before returning to her hometown club. “We knew we had two chances, we missed one, but we’ll come back here to become champions”says Grijseels.
50:50 game
It hasn’t been that unpredictable for a long time as to who will lift the championship trophy in the end. “I think it’s also important for German women’s handball that we saw two such close games for the championship.”said Grijseels. It can be assumed that the third one will also be a crime thriller. The final of the German championship gets its deserved finale.
