After the away win in Wetzlar, the Rhein-Neckar Löwen are still among the top teams in the Bundesliga. Göppingen scored an important home win against Hannover-Burgdorf in the relegation battle.
Göppingen started strong in front of 3,600 spectators in the home arena. After Jon Lindenchrone made it 4:3, the hosts extended their lead to 11:3 with seven goals in a row. During this phase, Hannover went twelve minutes without a goal of their own. In the meantime, the guests reduced the lead to 14:8, but the Göppingen team went into the half-time break with a 16:9 lead.
At the beginning of the second half, the Swabians showed that they absolutely wanted to keep the points at home. Two quick hits by Kresimir Kozina and Kevin Gulliksen made it 18:9. Until the final score of 33:29, the guests from Hanover could only do a little cosmetic work. Top scorer at Göppingen was the outstanding Jon Lindenchrone (7 goals).
Markus Baur, new coach at FrischAuf, was satisfied after the end of the game: “We were patient on offense and used our attacks. In the end, we lost a bit of strength, but it was a fully deserved win.” Göppingen is now 14th in the table.
Sovereign Lions
The Rhein-Neckar Löwen won their last Bundesliga away game of the year at HSG Wetzlar 29:23 (16:10). In the sold-out arena in Wetzlar, the lions were the better team and kept the pressure, although director Juri Knorr saw the red card in the 42nd minute. He hit the head of Wetzlar’s Till Klimpke with a seven-metre throw. But the guests kept a cool head. In the end it was 29:23 for the strong guests from Mannheim.
The lions thus close the first half of the season in third place (just behind Füchse Berlin and THW Kiel) with 27:7 points. On Wednesday (December 21/7:30 p.m.) the Rhein-Neckar Löwen are challenged in the DHB Cup. Then it goes for the Baden to league competitor MT Melsungen. The Löwen’s next Bundesliga game is on Boxing Day in Mannheim against ASV Hamm-Westfalen.
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