Match day 10: Top teams Melsungen, Berlin, and Flensburg face challenges

Sunday, 26 October:

• The Rhein-Neckar Löwen are winless in three matches, while Stuttgart have gone five games without victory, losing their last four.
• Ahead of this Baden-Wurttemberg derby, the Löwen suffered a narrow 22:25 defeat in Lemgo, while Stuttgart lost 30:36 at home to champions Füchse Berlin.
• Two of the last three derbies have gone Stuttgart’s way, including a 33:26 win in Mannheim last season, though the Löwen took the reverse fixture 28:25. Overall, Löwen hold a commanding 15:4 lead in head-to-head wins.

• A year ago, this would have been a top-of-the-table clash – now, ten places separate the two clubs in the table.
• Hannover failed to build on their positive start in the European League (a group-stage win over Fredericia) and unexpectedly lost 30:33 at promoted Minden. They sit 13th with 6:12 points.
• Magdeburg, meanwhile, are flying up: unbeaten leaders in their Champions League group, still unbeaten domestically, third in the DAIKIN Handball-Bundesliga with 15:1 points behind Flensburg and Kiel. Their emphatic 36:23 win over Leipzig in the East German derby sent a clear message.
• Icelandic shooter Omar Ingi Magnusson is second in the DAIKIN HBL scoring charts with 78 goals. Hannover’s Marius Steinhauser has 70 but picked up an injury in the defeat at Minden.
• Hannover have already reached the Cup round of 16 and face Bergischer HC away, while Magdeburg still need to play their second-round tie – a local derby at second-division side Dessau-Roßlauer HV.
• Recken have won their last three home games against Magdeburg, but have lost the last four away. Of the 32 meetings, Magdeburg have won 20, Hannover nine.

• Flensburg are flying high: top of the table with 16:2 points, unbeaten, seven consecutive league wins, a successful start in the European League and a cup victory over Rhein-Neckar Löwen. They did, however, have to work hard for their recent 38:32 win over Eisenach.
• Erlangen have also bounced back after two defeats and a cup elimination at Nordhorn, beating Wetzlar 33:26 to move to 11th with 8:10 points.
• Emil Jakobsen leads Flensburg’s scoring with 61 goals, while Marek Nissen tops Erlangen’s charts with 51.
• The record is one-sided: 17 Flensburg wins and two draws (most recently a 27:27 in 2021). Erlangen have never beaten Flensburg.

• Füchse Berlin are in relentless form, winning ten consecutive matches across all competitions. Their latest, a 36:30 victory against Stuttgart, was their fifth league win in a row, moving the defending champions up to sixth with 14:4 points.
• Hamburg also impressed last weekend, ending Gummersbach’s winning streak with a 31:30 success to reach mid-table security on 9:9 points.
• Two Danes lead the scoring for their respective sides: Mathias Gidsel (Berlin) tops the entire DAIKIN HBL with 81 goals, while Hamburg’s new signing Nicolaj Jørgensen has struck 52 times.
• HSVH were knocked out of the Cup in round two after a double period of extra time at HC Elbflorenz, while Berlin will face Eisenach in the round of 16 on 6 November.
• Hamburg haven’t beaten the Füchse since November 2014 (33:25). Since then, Berlin have recorded eight wins and one draw (in Hamburg last season). Overall, however, Hamburg still lead the record 12:10.