As of: October 11, 2025 5:37 p.m
SG Flensburg-Handewitt also won the 113th state derby against THW Kiel. On Saturday they scored 36:34 (16:19) in their home arena. For the SG it was not only the fifth derby victory in a row, the success also meant that they replaced their eternal rivals at the top of the table in the Handball Bundesliga.
While the Flensburg team danced to their fans’ chant of “We are number one in the country” after the final siren, the Kiel team left the pitch with their heads hanging. Not only did they lose out in a derby again, they also suffered their first defeat of the season.
The still unbeaten team of SG coach Ales Pajovic is at the top of the table after the eighth matchday with 14:2 points. Kiel is currently second with 13:3 points. But there is a lot to suggest that SC Magdeburg (11:1, home game against Bergischer HC) will overtake the record champions.
“The win means a lot to us.”
SG goalkeeper Kevin Möller
“We changed a few little things after the break and Kiel then had difficulties. They had a few technical errors and I also saved a few balls,” said the strong SG goalkeeper Kevin Möller in the Sportschau. “The victory means a lot for us. We are first now, but Magdeburg only has one minus point. For me, the SCM is still ahead of us.”
Pytlick will probably move to Berlin in the summer
The Flensburg team’s joy over their fifth derby victory in a row was not unclouded. According to Sportschau information, the Danish world-class player is changing Simon Pytlick next summer to the defending champions Füchse Berlin, which is coached by former SG coach Nicolej Krickau. At the capital club, as in the Danish national team, he will form the pincer with Mathias Gidsel in the half positions in the backcourt. The clubs have not yet confirmed the move.
“Zebras” start the game unsteadily
The initial phase of the derby in Flensburg had already offered a lot. The “Zebras” started the game very poorly, made technical errors and missed throws, and so an extremely early time-out by THW coach Filip Jicha after three or four minutes did not seem out of the question. The 43-year-old Czech didn’t react yet. He trusted that his playmaker Elias Ellefsen, who had been so impressive this season, would find a Skipagötu on track after two missed throws.
And the Faroese managed to do this, as his quick, dynamic advances were met by two Flensburg players (mostly Pytlick and Kent Robin Tönnesen). The HBL Player of the Month for September also contributed two goals to help the guests turn a 2-0 deficit into a 4-3 lead (8th minute).
Flensburg initially responds strongly…
The Flensburgers, who had announced the contract extension with the Norwegian backcourt player Tönnesen until the summer of 2027 before kick-off, had a good reaction. At the back, the Bosnian keeper Benjamin Buric fended off several throws, and a seven-meter shot from THW left winger Magnus Landin went next to the goal – and their own chances were well used at the front. Marko Grgic made it 14:12 (20th) in his first state derby.
…but Kiel pulls away a bit before the break
Only: After that there wasn’t much going on for the SG and quite a lot for the THW, where goalkeeper Andreas Wolff kept improving. The SG only scored two more goals in the first half. On the other hand, the Kiel team scored seven more times. A 3-0 run in the last minutes of the first half gave the “Zebras” a 19:16 half-time lead.
“It’s a game at a high level with high intensity. Three goals behind at the break – that’s not nice, but it’s nothing we couldn’t turn around,” said SG captain Johannes Golla during the break. THW left winger Rune Dahmke, on the other hand, said: “We have a great pace in the game. Now we are fully into it.”
Kevin Möller becomes the SG’s great support
Only a few minutes after the restart it became clear that Dahmke was too optimistic. After the break, the SG was totally into it – and how! In just nine minutes, Flensburg turned a three-goal deficit into a 24:21 lead – especially thanks to Kevin Möller’s saves. Jicha took the time out and demanded more intensity from his team, which had to make do without Emil Madsen (cartilage injury in his right knee).
However, the hosts now had the momentum on their side. When time was threatened, Grgic hit the ball into the top right corner of the goal from nine meters with his last action (46th) and shortly afterwards he made it 28:24 (47th). And Möller continued to hold strong at the back. Kiel tried everything again, but the turnaround was no longer successful.
When SG left winger Emil Jakobsen made it 36:31 three minutes before the end, the game was decided. Flensburg came to another derby victory and two extremely valuable points in the Bundesliga without any trepidation.
