Handball Bundesliga
Despite a series of bankruptcies: THW Kiel does not tick off the title
Omar Ingi Magnusson (2nd from left) won the top game against Kiel with Magdeburg. photo
© Eroll Popova/dpa
The last time THW Kiel had such a bad start to the Bundesliga as this season was six years ago. After the defeat in Magdeburg, the top of the table is a long way away.
The third defeat of the season in a row and the associated fall into the middle of the table caused the German handball champions to suffer THW Kiel is more for defiance rather than frustration.
“Although we lost today, nothing has been decided in the championship. We can definitely still become champions and will never stop believing in it,” said right winger Niclas Ekberg after the 31:34 (15:17) in the top game Champions League winner SC Magdeburg declares war on the competition.
Currently only mid-table
However, the numbers currently speak a different language. With 6:6 points, the record champions are currently languishing in no man’s land in the table. The last time Kiel suffered three defeats at such an early stage of the season was six years ago. At that time, THW only ended up in fifth place.
In the duel between the giants in the Magdeburg Arena, which was sold out with 6,600 spectators, the Kiel team had too many weaknesses to be able to leave the floor as winners like in the previous two years. “Everything should have gone perfectly, but we had too many technical errors and slight ball losses. We should have done better to be able to win here. Since we didn’t succeed, we have to accept the defeat,” said THW coach Filip Jicha.
Despite a good start, behind
After a good start with a two-goal lead, his team “invited Magdeburg back into the game”. And when the opportunity to steer the game in their own direction opened up again in the middle of the second half at 23:23, Jicha complained that “too many 100% chances were left behind” in the attack. The 41-year-old Czech was correspondingly disappointed: “We didn’t have that killer instinct. That hurt us.”
What the Kiel team also lacks in games against top teams is a plus in the goalkeeper position. The Dane Niklas Landin has often taken care of this in recent years, but he returned to his homeland in the summer. THW keeper Tomas Mrkva was able to save seven shots, but Nikola Portner in the Magdeburg goal made 15 saves and became the match winner.
THW confident
“We lacked concentration,” admitted THW veteran Ekberg. But the Swedish European champion didn’t want to let any doubts arise. “We know that our concept is successful. We will continue to work and get the points back,” said the 34-year-old.
SCM coach Bennet Wiegert, whose team is third in the table with 9:3 points and is still the first pursuer of the top duo MT Melsungen and Füchse Berlin, was simply happy after the intense 60 minutes and praised everyone involved. “We are very proud and happy. It was a great handball game between two great teams and it was also a lot of fun to see on the sidelines how both teams sacrifice themselves to fight for points in a top game,” said Wiegert. “Kiel contributed a large part to this.”