THW Kiel is competing today in the Handball Champions League at Kolstad IL – where Sander Sagosen, the former backcourt ace of the “Zebras”, is now playing. Both clubs have been very fluctuating in their performance recently. Who shows which face in a direct duel?
While Kiel’s start in the Bundesliga with 8:8 points is as bad as it was last in 2002/2003, in Group A of the Champions League the vest is clean after four match days. And according to the “Zebras”, it should be after the game today in Norway (6.45 p.m.).
Kiel’s fluctuating performance
Usually top clubs quickly move on to business as usual and look ahead to the next game. But the 34:35 defeat in Leipzig, which saw Schleswig-Holstein fall into midfield in the Bundesliga, called for an overhaul. “This THW jersey weighs a lot,” said coach Filip Jicha. “Sometimes we reach limits, so some people can’t withstand this pressure every third day.”
The THW coach called for more vigilance, especially when it comes to rebounds. Backcourt player Nikola Bilyk admitted: “We have to get better access in defense.” Otherwise the beautiful view of the Champions League, where THW leads Group A ahead of Paris and Aalborg after the victory over Kielce, will soon become cloudy.
First duel between THW and Kolstad
Opponent Kolstad is currently fourth in the difficult group. There has not yet been a duel between THW and the club from Trondheim. The club is an ambitious upstart that has signed several world-class players with much fanfare and economic power.
In the summer, however, the club reported financial difficulties and had to cut salaries. “I continue to believe in the project, a lot of people in our club are working very hard behind the scenes to ensure that everything runs smoothly and in an orderly manner again,” says Sagosen. The backcourt star returned to his hometown in the summer after nine years abroad – the last three of which were in Kiel.
The Norwegians are also moody
Sagosen’s new old club has been moody recently: While there were three surprising point losses in the Norwegian league, the Norwegian champions overran the Hungarian representative Szeged 37:24 in the Champions League. Just a week earlier, however, they suffered a 20:31 defeat in Zagreb.
Which face will Kolstad IL show this time? A similar question that you can also ask the THW Kiel after the season so far.
This topic in the program:
NDR 2 Sport | Oct 19, 2023 | 11:03 p.m
