Handball record champion THW Kiel remains on the heels of table leaders SG Flensburg-Handewitt.
The team of THW coach Filip Jicha won their away game on Saturday against relegation-threatened TSV GWD Minden with 35:30 (17:13) and reduced the gap to their north rivals to one point.
The best throwers in front of the 557 spectators were Christoffer Rambo from Minden and Sander Sagosen from Kiel, each with eight hits.
In Kiel, the ailing Steffen Weinhold and Hendrik Pekeler were back in the squad. The only one missing was Niclas Ekberg, for whom the season has ended after a torn knee ligament. The “zebras” experienced a moment of shock at the beginning of the second half when national player Patrick Wiencek stumbled over an opponent and held the right leg, which he had injured in May. In the course of the game, however, the cyclist was able to participate again.
Minden came into play only slowly, but then increased after the 1: 5 deficit from the eleventh minute. However, the East Westphalia came closer than two hits. After a foul on THW playmaker Miha Zarabec, the ex-Kieler Christian Zeitz saw the red card (43rd). In the end, Kiel celebrated an undisputed 55th victory in the 80th clash in the duel between the two traditional clubs.