Derby won, peaked: Master THW Kiel impressively underpinned his title ambitions in the duel between the eternal northern rivals against SG Flensburg-Handewitt.
The record champion outclassed the weakened runner-up in the 105th edition of the classic handball game with 33:23 (18:14) and took the lead with the third win in the third game.
The best THW goalscorer in front of 9,000 euphoric spectators in Kiel was Sander Sagosen with seven goals, while Mads Mensah Larsen and Hampus Wanne each scored six times on the Flensburg side.
While Kiel started the season perfectly with 6: 0 points, the SG is in the middle of the table after their first league defeat (3: 3).
Thanks to far-reaching corona easing in Schleswig-Holstein, what is probably the most prestigious derby in the handball world took place in a full hall for the first time in over two years - and Kiel used the large backdrop for a show of power.
The zebras gave the badly staffed opponent practically no chance, the SG did not lead once over the entire season.
“The conditions couldn't be more different, and that's why THW is of course the clear favorite”, coach Maik Machulla said before the game, but despite all injury concerns he announced a courageous performance with the aim of “taking something countable”. And actually Flensburg, which competed in the back room without a left-hander, initially balanced the game. With a score of 7: 7, Wanne even had a great chance of taking the lead for the first time, but his seven-meter hit the post (13th).
Then the THW took over the command. At the back, goalkeeper Niklas Landin defused a number of balls, at the front Kiel repeatedly hit with a quick attack from the first or second wave. The hosts moved away within seven minutes to 13: 8. When THW superstar Sagosen increased to 17:11 four minutes before the break, the Kiel arena was finally transformed into a madhouse. After three quarters of an hour at the latest, when the score was 26:17, the game was decided in favor of the zebras.