The Sports Hall in Hamburg was in the mood of a hurricane as the listed building shook alarmingly during a match. At 5:47 p.m., after a loud cheer, the shaking stopped, and the 3685 spectators celebrated HSV Hamburg after a 33:29 win against Erlangen.
In the match between the two table neighbors, Hamburg kept a cool head and secured 8th place. The goalkeeper, Jogi Bitter, said he was proud of the result. The captain, Niklas Weller, also had a thick lip due to a training accident with Dominik Axmann, but he still grinned after the victory.
HSV had the lead from the start and at times led by six goals (17:11). Erlangen seemed to be completely on the defensive and lacked aggressiveness and attitude. After the break, Bayern came and annoyed Hamburg, who were no longer as aggressive in defense. Coach Torsten Jansen was relieved after the match, but he admitted that they were not as efficient and patient as expected.
Danish players – Jacob Lassen, Andreas Magaard, Casper U. Mortensen, and Frederik Bo Andersen – delivered the points for Hamburg. They were happy about the “great atmosphere” and the two points. Lassen also went out with an injury, but it was “not all that bad,” according to him.
After the success, Hamburg is only four points behind the sixth place in the table. The next match against the Rhein-Neckar Löwen will be the hardest one yet. Nonetheless, Hamburg won the first leg, and they are optimistic about their chances.
