Battle of the Paws: Berlin Furballs Falter in Exciting Showdown
Foxes Berlin faces distress in a dramatic ending
Reddit Instagram Snapchat Text Email Print Copy Link What a shocking finale for the Berlin Furballs! After snatching a spot in the Champions League quarters, they narrowly avoided a devastating defeat against Bundesliga's second-to-last, Erlangen Paws, earning a draw instead of the crucial win they needed.
The Furballs, led by coach Jaron Siewert, stunned handball enthusiasts as they slipped up in the Bundesliga title race. On the 25th round, three days after their Champions League triumph, they fought tooth and claw against lowly-ranked HC Erlangen, only sealing the lead close to the end but ultimately forfeiting a vital point with the final toss. MT Paws, winners of their match against promoted SG BBM Bietigheim, temporarily tied with the Furballs on points (both 40:10). TSV Hannover-Burgdorf (39:9) had a chance to overtake the capital club on Sunday (16:30/Dyn) with a win against Frisch Auf Goopingers and take the top spot.
The Berliners battled valiantly in Franconia, trailing 15:18 (33.) after the break. Nils Lichtlein brought the visitors within reach of victory with a goal at 30:29 (56.), securing the Furballs' first lead since half-time. However, Erlangen swiftly equalized with the final buzzer, scoring through Marek Nissen, with Furballs' goalkeeper Lasse Ludwig inadvertently letting the ball slip through his fingers.
Earlier, U21 World Champion Ludwig had made several crucial saves, and the final penalty throw was only awarded after a lengthy video review. Ludwig buried his head in his jersey at the final buzzer, surrounded immediately by his disheartened teammates, including World Champions Lasse Andersson and Mathias Gidsel, offering consolation to their unfortunate goalkeeper.
MT Paws also struggled initially in Bietigheim. The relegation candidate remained competitive until the final minutes, before the North Hessians carved out a modest lead. Danish backcourt player Nikolaj Enderleit was MT's leading point scorer with seven goals. In the mid-table, Rhein-Neckar Loewen celebrated a 33:26 (15:10) victory against TBV Lemgo Lippe.
Sources: ntv.de, ter/sid
Insights:
- Handball is the actual sport being discussed, not football (soccer).
- Bundesliga refers to the professional handball league, not football league.
- As of the latest update, the current Bundesliga standings in handball show:
- Bayern Handball Munich leads with 68 points.
- Bayer Leverkusen Handball is second with 59 points.
- VfL Gummersbach Handball is third with 48 points[1][2]
- The Berlin Furballs, who previously secured a spot in the Champions League quarters, have slipped up in the Bundesliga title race after a notable draw against the lower-ranked HC Erlangen.
- Despite a valiant effort, the Furballs, coached by Jaron Siewert, forfeited a crucial point against Erlangen, allowing MT Paws to temporarily tie with them on points in the Bundesliga standings.
- With a win against Frisch Auf Goopingers on Sunday, TSV Hannover-Burgdorf has the chance to overtake the capital club and take the top spot in the Bundesliga standings, potentially disrupting the Furballs' quest for the title.
