SG Flensburg-Handewitt defeats HC Hamburg 37:34 to retake Bundesliga lead

Early Hamburg lead and tactical timeout

SG Flensburg-Handewitt claimed their fifth consecutive victory in the Handball-Bundesliga on Sunday evening, defeating HC Hamburg 37:34. The result moved the hosts back into first place in the league table on goal difference ahead of rivals THW Kiel, with both teams holding ten points from five matches. Hamburg opened the match in Flensburg with quick execution, building a 3:1 lead by the third minute and expanding it to 6:3 after ten minutes. Flensburg had entered the contest following a ten-day pause since their 39:30 victory over TBV Lemgo Lippe. Flensburg head coach Ales Pajovic called an early timeout after a 3:0 scoring sequence levelled the match, seeking better conversion of scoring chances and tighter defensive coordination.

Goalkeeper substitution and first-half turnaround

Hamburg continued to challenge the home defence before an attendance reported between 6,175 and 6,176 spectators, using low bounce passes to find Martin Hovde and Oliver Norlyk. Flensburg altered their defensive setup in the 19th minute by bringing goalkeeper Simon Möller into the game for Benjamin Buric, who had registered a save rate of eight percent. Hamburg maintained a 13:12 lead in the 23rd minute before Flensburg responded with a 5:1 scoring run. Danish left wing Emil Jakobsen scored twice in succession, first through a seven-meter throw and then on a counter-attack, putting Flensburg ahead 15:13 in the 28th minute before the hosts reached a 17:14 margin in the 29th minute. Flensburg led 19:16 at the half-time break, when Jakobsen addressed the team's efficiency in a television interview.

We have too many missed shots and make too little tempo.

Second-half control and Hamburg response

Flensburg increased their offensive speed after the restart, with French playmaker Aymeric Minne leading the attack. Minne, who had missed the previous league match in Lemgo due to the birth of his child, finished as Flensburg's top scorer with ten goals. In the 38th minute, Minne scored into an empty net to establish a 23:18 cushion. HC Hamburg coach Torsten Jansen utilized a seventh outfield player to break through Flensburg's back line during the second period. Nicolaj Jörgensen recorded twelve goals for Hamburg, and Norwegian backcourt player Nicolai Daling made his season debut for the visitors. Hamburg cut the deficit to 32:35 in the 55th minute, but Flensburg protected their lead through the closing minutes.

Standings update and cup preparations

The defeat keeps HC Hamburg winless in the Bundesliga with a record of 1:9 points. Flensburg's retention of first place came alongside MT Melsungen's 37:34 win over defending champions SC Magdeburg on the same evening. Flensburg and THW Kiel will meet in Kiel on Saturday at 17:50 for the 117th regional derby between the clubs, broadcast live on Sportschau. Both squads face midweek fixtures in the second round of the DHB-Pokal before that encounter. Hamburg plays away against second-tier club HC Elbflorenz Dresden on Tuesday at 18:30, while Flensburg travels to second-tier VfL Lübeck-Schwartau on Wednesday at 19:00.