VfL Gummersbach didn’t win at home for the first time this season. THW Kiel saved a draw in the final seconds.
VfL and THW separated in the game on matchday 10 on Thursday evening with 25:25 (15:13). For the Gummersbachers, who had previously won all four home games, it was the second game in a row without a win. The Oberbergische temporarily climbed to fifth place in the table, but failed to get back into the top group. THW Kiel has one more point than VfL and is second.
Miro Schluroff was Gummersbacher’s best thrower with five goals. Kay Smits and Julian Köster each contributed four goals. Goalkeeper Dominik Kuzmanović shone with ten saves. The best thrower of the game was Kiel’s Eric Johansson with six hits. THW goalkeeper Andreas Wolff made 13 strong saves.
Gummersbach breaks away early
Gummersbach’s managing director Christoph Schindler called for a solid defensive performance in a WDR interview before the game. It worked well for the first few minutes. Kiel made a few missed throws, but Gummersbach was able to quickly pull away. Miro Schluroff scored after four minutes to make it 4-1.
In a wild game with several hasty attacks, Gummersbach’s lead initially held. The 9:5 by Milos Vujovic after 14 minutes was Gummersbach’s highest lead of the game to date. By the break, Kiel fought back to within two goals (15:13).
VfL unsettled after the break
After the break, the game remained intense and sometimes wild. THW missed several chances to equalize. After 39 minutes, Lukas Zerbe scored from seven meters to make it 17:17. VfL appeared unsettled and coach Gujin Valur Sigurdsson took a time out.
It didn’t work. The attack got stuck in the Kiel block, but Rune Dahmke scored in return to give the visitors their first lead of the game (17:18). At this point, VfL had already been without a goal for six minutes. Vujovic broke the spell from the seven-meter line to equalize again.
A save by VfL goalkeeper Dominik Kuzmanović brought the hall back into the game. In return, Mathis Häseler scored to give Gummersbach another lead, which Veron Nacinovic immediately equalized (21:21).
Lots of mistakes on both sides
Gummersbach then used a majority after a time penalty for Kiel’s Domagoj Duvnjak to pull away again with two goals. Both teams made a few mistakes in this phase.
Seven minutes before the end, THW suffered the next setback. Lukas Laube caught Köster with his hand in the face and, according to video evidence, had to leave the field with a red card. VfL at least used the subsequent majority to pull ahead again with two goals thanks to Häseler, but the Gummersbachers lost a higher lead due to their own mistakes.
Vidarsson misses the chance to win
Four minutes before the end the hosts were suddenly outnumbered. But only for a minute, because Kiel’s Harald Reinkind also received a time penalty. Schluroff took advantage of this to put VfL back in the lead by two goals (25:23). Elias Ellefsen á Skipagøtu promptly reduced the score to 25:24, but later missed the chance to equalize after an attack.
So Gummersbach had the chance to secure victory in the last minute. Vidarsson also had a free shot at the circle, but put the ball a good half a meter past the goal. So the THW still had the chance to equalize. Á Skipagøtu broke through the middle and scored with a touchdown to make it 25:25. Vidarsson tried again from the halfway line with the final siren, but threw it over the goal.
VfL continues on November 5th in the round of 16 of the DHB Cup (7 p.m.) with a NRW duel at TBV Lemgo Lippe. The next opponent in the Bundesliga is HSG Wetzlar on November 17th (7 p.m.). Kiel will meet HBW Balingen-Weilstetten in the cup (November 5th, 2025, 7 p.m.) and then Bergischer HC in the Bundesliga (November 9th, 2025, 4:30 p.m.).
Our sources:
- Game VfL Gummersbach against THW Kiel from October 23rd, 2025
