The German record champion THW Kiel and DHB Cup winner Rhein-Neckar Löwen won their home games on the 12th matchday of the Handball Bundesliga with great effort. Kiel was behind against FA Göppingen during the break and won in the end with 28:26 (14:15).
The Lions turned the game against the HC Erlangen only in the last 15 minutes and won 29:26 (15:14).
National goalkeeper Andreas Wolff captured the victory of the Kielers, who for a long time found no remedy against Göppingen’s aggressive defence. Before the break the THW was not in the lead once and even had to run twice a four-goal deficit.
In the second half the THW went more concentrated to work and had in Wolff a safe support. Best Kiel throwers were right wing Niclas Ekberg (7/2) and national player Patrick Wiencek (6) in the circle.
In Mannheim it looked until the 53rd minute after a big surprise, only Patrick Groetzkis compensation to 24:24 heralded the successful final sprint of the lions. After that, the two-time German champion did not let the victory be taken out of his hands. Gudjur Valur Sigurdsson (9/4) for the lions and Christoph Steinert (9/3) for Erlangen were the most successful throwers of the game.
The only team still leading the table is the undefeated German champions SG Flensburg-Handewitt, who played in the Champions League at the weekend and was therefore free in the Bundesliga. On Thursday, Flensburg had won with 33:20 in the ascendant SG BBM Bietigheim and SC Magdeburg with 40:27 in the TVB Stuttgart.
Due to the better goal ratio, the THW Kiel established itself in third place ahead of the Rhein-Neckar Löwen, behind the Löwen a gap of three points is already opening up for the surprise climber Bergischer HC.
The Eulen Ludwigshafen remain last in the table after 26:30 (11:14) at the MT Melsungen. In the lower third the SC DHfK Leipzig (26:25 against Minden) and the TBV Lemgo Lippe (26:31 against Hannover-Burgdorf) continue to fight for the connection to the midfield.