16.03.2009, 03:00
Kiel win top duel in Bundesliga

THW are now ten points ahead of Hamburg. What’s the latest in Germany?

Kiel win top duel in Bundesliga

The teams are ready for the German Cup Final Four and the Bundesliga seems to be decided after Round 24.

THW Kiel won the Northern derby in Hamburg by 34:33 and the distance between the leader and the runner-up are ten points now. Kiel have broken the all-time Bundesliga record with 23 victories in a row. After the draw against Dormagen in Round 1 they won all the matches and now have 47:1 points on their account, while HSV Hamburg only have 35:11 points.

The really tense duel in Hamburg was decided by a penalty in the last second of the game. The Czech Filip Jicha converted it and set the final score 34:33. Hamburg had a 33:30 lead with just four minutes before the end on Saturday.

All the top teams met over last weekend. The other big duel was the game between the other two German CL teams.

Rhein Neckar Löwen (now ranked sixth) have beaten SG Flensburg-Handewitt very clearly by 39:30. For Flensburg it seems that they stand no more chance for a CL qualification now. They are eighth on the league table with 17 points behind Kiel.

In the third top game SC Magdeburg (4./33:15) have beaten TBV Lemgo (3./35:13) 33:30. – Apart from Kiel and Hamburg, these two teams and “Löwen” have the best chance to qualify for the CL.

German Cup

Three of the four German CL participants will meet in the Cup Final Four that will take place in Hamburg on 9-10 May.

In the quarterfinals Kiel won in Wetzlar 31:23, Hamburg have beaten Minden 24:18 and the “Löwen” had no problems winning 40:32 against Düsseldorf.

The fourth team to qualify for the Final Four was Gummersbach after beating Nordhorn by 25:24.

The German football legend, Uwe Seeler, drew the lots and arranged a semi-final between THW Kiel and “Löwen”. Hamburg are clear favourites against Gummersbach in the other semi-final.

TEXT: Björn Pazen