Absent from the Handball Bus - Johannes Bitter Out of Action
As Mirko Großer guided the HSV handball team bus away from Volkspark's parking lot, heading towards the highway at 1 pm on a Wednesday, an empty seat caught everyone's eye. The usual occupant, goalkeeper Johannes Bitter (41), was nowhere to be found.
It remains unclear whether Bitter will join the team for the Liqui Moly Handbal Bundesliga clash at VfL Gummersbach (7 p.m., Dyn). In his place, 18-year-old Finn Luca Gründel stepped up. Recent events have brought a wave of turmoil to the box, as serenity and consistency seem to have taken a temporary leave.
Gummersbach or Delivery Room - HSV on the Road Without Bitter!
Gründel recently filled in for Alexander Pinski (19) when the U21 team faced MTV Lübeck (26:29). Pinski, who suffered a concussion following a collision with the ground, underwent another MRI on Wednesday.
With Dani Baijens (25) sidelined due to a hand fracture and Dominik Axmann (24) also unavailable, Coach Torsten Jansen (46) is once again relying on his intuition when it comes to selecting goalkeepers. Jens Vortmann (36), a former national keeper, is likely to start.
Post-defeat against the Rhein-Neckar Löwen, HSV's Jansen insisted on the importance of meticulous and precise play, aiming to minimize any unnecessary errors against Gummersbach. VfL Gummersbach, led by ex-world-class left winger Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson, ruthlessly exploits opponents' mistakes, moving swiftly to capitalize on their errors.
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The two teams currently occupy the 11th and 9th positions, with HSV (12:18 points) and VfL Gummersbach (14:16 points) separated by just two points and positions.
HSV's Jacob Lassen (28): "Our aim is to maintain our style at VfL and secure more victories this time around. If we manage this feat, we'll have the opportunity to steal points from Gummersbach, improving our league position."
Uncovering More Handball Tales
Key Insights:
- Gründel replaces Bitter in the absence of the latter for the HSV-Gummersbach match.
- Jansen relies on intuition to choose goalkeepers given the absence of key players.
- Ex-national keeper Vortmann is expected to start for VfL Gummersbach, managed by Sigurdsson, a former world-class left winger.
- Jansen stresses the importance of strategic and precise play for HSV against Gummersbach following a loss to Rhein-Neckar Löwen.
- VfL Gummersbach targets opponents' mistakes by utilizing swift gameplay, led by Kapitel 5 star Johannes Köster.
- Alternative sources such as no-sport-app and regio sport hamburg offer Handball news, including details about the upcoming HSV-Gummersbach match.
- Local news outlets like Hamburg regional news and sport - lighthouse hamburg regularly cover HSV's Handball games and provide updates on their Bundesliga competition.
