Record champion THW Kiel started the new season of the handball Bundesliga with an away defeat. The North Germans lost 27:32 (14:14) to Rhein-Neckar Löwen on the first match day. Ivan Martinovic was the hosts’ best scorer with ten goals. Emil Madsen also scored ten times for Kiel.
The game began with a real bang. Only 45 seconds had been played when THW player Patrick Wiencek was shown the red card. The Kiel player had hit his opponent Martinovic in the face in Mannheim’s first attack.
National goalkeeper immediately on the spot
The two German national goalkeepers were on hand from the start. David Späth in the Lions’ goal immediately parried a seven-meter shot from THW newcomer Bence Imre, and Kiel’s keeper Andreas Wolff was on hand to stop a quick counterattack from Martinovic.
Both teams had their dominant phases. First the THW went ahead 7:4 (13th minute), then the Mannheim team pulled ahead 13:10 (27th minute). After the break the Lions increased their lead significantly, pulling ahead 25:21 (46th minute). Kiel used the seventh field player in the final phase, but it was not enough to turn things around.
Away wins for Gummersbach and Melsungen
The remaining two games were away wins. VfL Gummersbach beat TSV Hannover-Burgdorf 32:28 (15:15), while MT Melsungen celebrated a 28:20 (13:11) victory at TBV Lemgo Lippe.
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