Thrilling battles in the DKB Bundesliga

Immediately after the final whistle of the 72nd Schleswig-Holstein derby between THW Kiel and SG Flensburg-Handewitt, the mood of the home fans was jubilant.

The Zebras clearly dominated the game in the closing stages, defeating their rivals 34:27 and sparking chants of "We are Germany’s number one!" But the celebrations were interrupted when the half time score from Hamburg v Rhein-Neckar Löwen was displayed, with Mannheim based team clearly leading. So THW remain second in the Bundesliga with a 19:1 record.

In the post-match analysis, coach Alfred Gislason was hard on his team despite the win: “In the first half I was very unhappy with our defence, and up front we weren’t active enough.”

Some observers of the Bundesliga are asking how strong Kiel will be when they play at 100 per cent, and whether the league will be played out with the same predictability as previous seasons.

“That question isn´t for us, but for the future," said back player Filip Jícha. "I don´t go onto the field and lose the game. I am an athlete, I hate to lose."

That pattern doesn´t seem to be happening in the north of Germany this year. Flensburg has already lost six points with their injury problems. Michael Knudsen was missed in Kiel because he had fever, and on the right wing Lasse Svan Hansen has problems with his left calf.

So Flensburg secured a quick transfer, signing Florian Gruchalla from the second division (Post Schwerin). But just before half time the new player went over on his foot, and Steffen Weinhold and Holger Glandorf, the two left-handed players, had to help out in the back.

“We had big plans and good chances,” said an exhausted Holger Glandorf. “In the end we couldn´t change, while Kiel could replace world class players for more world class off the bench.”

Also suffering big problems are Hamburg, who are now seventh in the table with a 12:8 record and a world away from the top of the ranking.

Their 23:30 defeat to Rhein-Neckar was in part a result of  a long injury list, which caused the team structure to suffer.

“We could’ve played for 20 hours, and we still wouldn’t have won,” said a frustrated Pascal Hens. "We don´t know what the future holds for us, while the other teams are playing well together.”