THW Kiel can chill the sparkling wine for the master party. The record champion won 29:26 (13:14) at Bergisches HC and goes into the last two games of the season in the Handball Bundesliga with a lead of two points and a goal difference that is 26 goals better than the pursuer and defending champion SC Magdeburg.
“I no longer have any doubts about Kiel winning the title. They won’t let that go by anymore,” prophesied Stefan Kretzschmar, sports director of Füchse Berlin, who is third in the table, as an expert on the pay-TV channel “Sky”.
On the way to the 23rd championship title, Kiel will play at home against HSG Wetzlar on Wednesday and finally next Sunday at Frisch Auf Göppingen.
Pekeler: “We still need three points”
Magdeburg welcomes TVB Stuttgart on Thursday and has to play in Wetzlar on the last day of the game. Despite the excellent starting position, THW circle runner Hendrik Pekeler warned: “We still need three points.”
In front of 6721 spectators in Düsseldorf, THW, in which captain Domagoj Duvnjak was the best thrower with five goals, struggled for 30 minutes and was surprisingly behind at the break. “We have to shake ourselves now and get rid of our nervousness,” demanded Kiel’s coach Filip Jicha, visibly annoyed, during a time-out just before half-time.
His protégés took the clear announcement to heart after the change. At 21:18 (43rd minute) the favorites had worked their way up a three-goal cushion for the first time and gradually extended the lead to six goals. “We made a lot of technical mistakes in the first half and spoke a little louder in the dressing room during the break. After that we did better,” said backfield star Sander Sagosen.
Bergischer HC – THW Kiel 26:29 (14:13). – Goals: Scholtes (5), Persson (4), Arnesson (4/2 penalties), Nothdurft (3), Gutbrod (2), Nikolaisen Svegard (2), Stutzke (2), Beyer (1), Ladefoged Blazejewicz ( 1), Bergner (1), Rudeck (1) for the Bergisches – Duvnjak (5), Pekeler (4), Ekberg (4/1), Reinkind (4), Bilyk (4), Sagosen (3), Landin Jacobsen (3/1), Överby (1), Wiencek (1) for Kiel. – Viewers: 6721