Second game, second victory: The German hockey men are still on track at the European Indoor Championships in Heidelberg. The defending champion also beat Switzerland 7:3 (4:1) in the preliminary round – after a brilliant performance by Hamburg attacker Nik Kerner.
The 24-year-old from the club on the Alster impressed with his offensive power and scored four goals (1st, 7th, 25th, 26th). He was also directly involved in the goals of Anton Pöhling (9th) and Nicolas Proske (12th). Captain Anton Boeckel (40th) ensured the final point. The Swiss, who are not among the tournament favorites, were barely able to keep up right from the start.
At the start, the team coached by Matthias Witthaus and Jan Philipp Rabente also defeated Ireland 7-3 after a somewhat bumpy performance. In Group B, the record European champions will face Belgium on Friday evening (8.15 p.m./both MagentaSport). The preliminary round against Spain ends on Saturday.
The two best teams in each of the two groups of five qualify for the semi-finals, the other teams play for the remaining places. Germany is considered one of the big favorites at the tournament. The DHB team won the last edition in Belgium in 2024, and in February 2025 the DHB team was also crowned indoor world champion.