HBL: Wetzlar secures Handball Bundesliga survival through Leipzig's victory over Minden

In Leipzig, an evenly matched duel unfolded from the start. The hosts, coached by Frank Carstens, took an early 3:0 lead, but Minden responded in the seventh minute with a 4:0 run and took control. Franz Semper put Leipzig back in front 8:7 in the twelfth minute, after which the hosts remained narrowly ahead. By the 26th minute, Leipzig had extended the lead to 18:12 following a five-goal run, but Minden fought their way back.

After the break, Leipzig's attack stalled, managing only five goals in the first 20 minutes of the second half. Minden equalized at 22:22 in the 45th minute and at 23:23 in the 52nd minute. When Staffan Peters scored to make it 26:24 for Leipzig in the 59th minute, the decisive moment seemed to have arrived, but former Leipzig player Niclas Heitkamp brought Minden back to 25:26 just ten seconds later. At the other end, Semper missed the chance to seal the win. In the final 20 seconds, Czech right winger Jakub Sterba only hit the inside of the post on Minden's last attack.

Wetzlar: Celebrations after the news from Saxony

Leipzig's goalkeeper Domenico Ebner, who was playing his last match for SC DHfK, saved a total of eleven shots and was a decisive factor in the home win. Semper was Leipzig's top scorer with five goals from ten attempts. For Leipzig, it was only their fourth win of the season after a disappointing campaign that had already confirmed them as bottom of the table in Saxony.

In Wetzlar, 4,421 spectators in the sold-out Buderus Arena watched their own match against Magdeburg, which HSG narrowly lost. When the news from Leipzig came through roughly three minutes before the end, celebrations broke out in the arena. Captain Dominik Mappes, who was the match's top scorer with nine goals, spoke afterwards of an incredible feeling. «Es war brutal Gänsehaut. Ein unglaubliches Gefühl, das kann man nicht beschreiben», sagte Mappes. «Ich hatte sofort Gänsehaut. Es ist alles abgefallen. Das war ein schönes Gefühl.»

Reactions: Goosebumps and a Mallorca trip

Sporting director Michael Allendorf, who experienced the anxious final minutes, stressed that the team would have been capable of winning the match even without Leipzig's help. «Bis zum Ende hätte es ja in beide Richtungen ausgehen können», sagte Allendorf. «Ich glaube, wenn die Nachricht aus Leipzig nicht gekommen wäre, wären die Jungs auch in der Lage gewesen, das Ding zu ziehen. Die Jungs haben das sensationell gemacht. Sie haben von der ersten Minute an daran geglaubt.»

Managing director Björn Seipp spoke of the world-significance of Leipzig's victory for Wetzlar: «Der Sieg von Leipzig bedeutet für uns die Welt.» Seipp was simultaneously self-critical: «Wir wissen, dass es eine sehr schwere Saison für uns war, in der wir auch Fehler gemacht haben. Dennoch werden wir jetzt feiern und die Hütte abreißen.» Mappes announced: «Wir fliegen morgen nach Malle.»

Situation: Level on points and on edge

The situation heading into the final matchday had been extremely tight for the Central Hessians. Wetzlar sat level on points with Minden (17:51) and was only ahead thanks to a better goal difference. On the penultimate matchday, Minden had surprisingly beaten Kiel, while Wetzlar narrowly lost in Hamburg and thus slipped into acute relegation danger. «Das muss man dann erstmal schaffen, so wieder aufzustehen», described Allendorf the mental challenge after this setback.

Mappes admitted that the enormous pressure before the decisive match had led to inner tension. «Es war so viel Druck, es war Kopfkino. Wir haben das ausgeschaltet und eine unserer besten Saisonleistungen gezeigt», said the captain. Mappes described the performance against Magdeburg in a conversation with streaming provider Dyn as one of the best of the season.

Minden: Sixth relegation despite being level on points

For GWD Minden, which had won the German championship twice in the past decade, the return to the second division is a bitter setback. A draw in Leipzig would have been enough for the East Westphalians to stay up, but instead the team missed out on survival. TSV Hannover-Burgdorf drew 32:32 (15:16) with MT Melsungen on the final matchday, with Melsungen finishing the season in seventh place as winners of the European League.

Alongside Leipzig and Minden, HBW Balingen-Weilstetten and SG BBM Bietigheim will be promoted to the Handball-Bundesliga next season. Balingen-Weilstetten secured the second-division championship on the final matchday with a 36:22 (17:19) victory over Bietigheim.

Squad overhaul at HSG Wetzlar

A larger squad overhaul is meanwhile on the horizon at HSG Wetzlar. The contracts of Filip Vistorup, Justin Müller, and Swedish goalkeeper Andreas Palicka are expiring, and a departure of Philipp Ahouansou to TVB Stuttgart is taking shape. Confirmed new signings are Petter Överby (THW Kiel), Marti Soler and Laszlo Bartucz (both MT Melsungen), Doruk Pehlivan (HC Elbflorenz), and Paul Komenhans (TV Hüttenberg). A total of nine new players have signed league-independent contracts with HSG. Wetzlar will thus start in the Handball-Bundesliga for the 29th consecutive year.

The celebrations for securing survival began on Sunday evening, and the team announced the previously mentioned Mallorca trip immediately after the match. The very day after the decisive game, the squad wanted to board the plane to enjoy their league survival to the fullest.