Defeating their long-time nemeses in the Handball Bundesliga, HSV's triumphant lions leave Hamburg's Rhein-Neckar Lions stunned
Bbursting with delight and relief, the Rhein-Neckar Löwen were dethroned for the first time since their 2021 promotion - HSV secured a thrilling 36-32 (19-15) victory in front of 6741 spectators at the Barclays Arena!
A Less Than Savory Beginning
Four encounters between the two teams since HSV's promotion saw the North Germans emerge victorious every single time. It seemed the script was already written for this fifth encounter, but boy, were they wrong! The Lions forgot the entire handball manual in the opening minutes, from the simplest of plays to the most fundamental tackles.
"The start was atrocious, I'll say that," remarked HSV captain, Niklas Weller, during halftime. "We didn't get into the game at all."
This brutal honesty was backed by pundit Stefan Kretzschmar's assessment that the Lions seemed to be in the midst of a training match, with the man from Mannheim dominating the pace and ruthlessly overrunning the hosts. No teamwork, no tactics - it was a disaster.
The Tide Begins to Turn
Despite winning by four goals in the first half (15-19), the Lions were fortunate to find themselves in that position. The HSV team took their opportunities, but they could have scored even more. However, just when it seemed like they might lose hope, spirits soared, and their arsenal of skills began to shine.
The Dane, Niclas Kirkelökke, perked up, declaring, "Things are going well both offensively and defensively" before the restart - little did he know that four minutes later, crisis would seemingly justify the hope!
A Matter of Seconds and Failed Opportunities
The second half began with a dose of heart-pounding action, as Hamburg charged onto the field, scoring within six seconds and just 34 seconds later. Two Lions goals scored within mere moments of each other - the tension was palpable within the Barclays Arena. Soon enough, the Lions had brought the game to a 29-29 draw!
The connection between HSV's players and the goal became stronger, with the team having five prime opportunities to take the lead, but the ball always seemed to slip through their fingers. Luck continued to favor the Lions.
Lions Tamer Hinze: "We played perfection for our level in the first 20 minutes. I'm extremely happy to have triumphed in this challenging away match."
Luck Fades Away
Hamburg's persistent pursuit of victory left their coach, Torsten Jansen, with a mixture of emotions. While he saw immense potential in his team, he couldn't help but feel a sigh of disappointment, as apparently, luck wasn't on their side. In the end, it was HSV who emerged victorious, ending their four-match losing streak against the Rhine-Neckar Lions in the Handball Bundesliga.
Scoring at Its Finest
Goals for HSV
- Mortensen - 10 goals
- Lassen - 6
- Tissier - 5
- Andersen - 3, 1 penalty
- Ilic - 3
- Weller - 3
- Magaard - 2
Goals for Rhine-Neckar Löwen
- Kirkelökke - 10 goals
- Lindenchrone Andersen - 9
- Knorr - 8
- Kohlbacher - 4
- More - 2
- Birlehm - 1
- Forsell Schefvert - 1
A Reminder of the Score
- HSV - 36
- Rhine-Neckar Löwen - 32
In a heart-pounding encounter, the HSV Lions managed to snatch the victory from the hands of Hamburg's Rhine-Neckar Lions, ending their reign of dominance in the Handball Bundesliga.
