ThSV Eisenach fall 31:36 in Flensburg as Walz sees red in season finale on the road

Eisenach actually opened the brighter of the two sides. Stephan Seitz put the visitors in front for the first time in the 4th minute at 3:2, and ThSV continued to push even after going a man down, briefly leading 8:7 while shorthanded in the 12th minute. The early resistance suggested a competitive contest against a side chasing European qualification.

Walz red card shifts the balance

The turning point came in the 21st minute, when Marko Grgic, a former Eisenach player, found the net to put Flensburg ahead by three at 15:12 from Eisenach's perspective. Minutes later, the match shifted decisively in the hosts' favour. In the 28th minute, Eisenach captain and defensive specialist Peter Walz was shown a direct red card for a hard foul, described in match reports as a hit to the face of Lasse Møller, reducing ThSV to no available pivot options for the remainder of the contest.

Flensburg carried a three-goal advantage into the break at 21:18, and the second half brought no relief for the visitors. Emil Jakobsen, one of Flensburg's top scorers, converted from the seven-meter line in the 37th minute to push the lead to four at 23:19. Justin Kurch responded for Eisenach in the 44th minute, cutting the deficit to 26:24, and the contest appeared briefly alive.

Pytlick seals the contest

Any comeback hopes were extinguished by Simon Pytlick, who struck twice in quick succession to make it 31:26 for Flensburg and effectively decide the match. Eisenach's Vukanin Antonijevic received a two-minute suspension during the decisive sequence, leaving the visitors further short. Pytlick, the Danish Olympic and double world champion, finished the evening as the match's top scorer with 11 goals.

Grgic added nine goals against his former club, underlining Flensburg's depth in attack. For Eisenach, the scoring burden fell on Felix Aellen, the Swiss international who led his side with six goals. Aellen also missed a second penalty throw over the Flensburg goal in the 47th minute, with the score at 24:28, squandering a chance to bring Eisenach back within two.

What the result means for Eisenach

The result represents Eisenach's 20th defeat of the season and their 14th loss in 17 away matches in the HBL. The club sat 13th in the table at the time of the match, but with survival already assured, the remaining focus will be on closing the campaign on a more positive note at home.

Eisenach are coached by Sebastian Hinze, whose task in the coming weeks will be to regroup a squad that finished its road schedule without a win at this venue and to address the disciplinary issues highlighted by Walz's sending-off. Flensburg, meanwhile, continue their push for a Champions League return, with Pytlick — already announced as a future Füchse Berlin signing — providing a reminder of the kind of match-winning form that has carried the Danish international to global honours with his national team.