The match of matches

Whole Handball Europe will keep their eyes on the northern part of Germany on Saturday. Everything is arranged for the clash of the titans. It’s the 58th time that the old big rivals of German handball face each other. Last season it was up to Kiel to win all titles – but THW did not win in a Bundesliga game in Flensburg. This would have been the saddest possible thing for the SG.

In case Kiel would have won the match on the last but one match day, they would have celebrated their German title just as the biggest opponent falls. But history showed: Kiel lost 36:41 and became champion one week later. Before in the season, THW knocked Flensburg out of the German cup and won the Champions League finals – the first one ever between two German teams – (28:28, 29:27) with a small difference.

For more than 20 years, the “northern heat” is on, when those teams play, the halls are sold out weeks before, players are highly motivated. So it will be the same on Saturday, when the starting whistle will be heard at 15hrs in the Flensburg Campushalle.

Different forms

The situation before this match is clear: After five rounds in the Toyota-Bundesliga Kiel are the only club with five victories, Flensburg are second with four victories and one draw (last round 29:29 against Tusem Essen). In case Kiel win the derby, they will have a big advantage. If Flensburg win, there’s new tension in the Bundesliga and it would be a sign for the concurrence that Kiel is not unbeatable.

But if you look at this week’s German Cup results, Kiel is – for a little bit – the favourite of the Saturday’s match: THW thrashed EHF Cup winner Magdeburg 44:27, Flensburg nearly lost against the second league team Stralsund, and was very lucky to win 35:32.

”We have to get this cup match out of our heads as fast as possible, we only have to focus on Kiel,“ says Flensburg coach, Kent-Harry Andersson.

“We want to win against our old rival in any case. I expect a real handball highlight, a special thing not only for the north of Germany,” says Flensburg-manager Anders Dahl-Nielsen. But coach Anderssonis not sure, if his newly built team is strong enough for the match of the matches:

“It is possible that Kiel wins all the three titles – Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League – again in this season. They have the best team in the world, and they are favourite in every hall of the world. Our team is yet not so far improved to stand this challenge.”

Flensburg’s objective is clear: “We want to build a strong defence and hope not to get more 30 goals, then everything is possible,” says Dahl-Nielsen. On the other side there’s a lot of self-confidence:

“We go to Flensburg to win this match,” says Kiel’s coach Noka Serdarusic.

Book on the rivals

The special relationship and the rivalry between the two clubs is even subject of a new book, written by two German journalists. Its title is: “The heat in the north”.

On 210 pages the history of the “match of the matches” is shown. Many players, coaches, managers and supporters tell their stories about the match Kiel vs Flensburg. A special focus is put on the last season’s Champions League finals. And maybe a new chapter can be added on Saturday.

A brief look on the statistics of this match:

Official matches Kiel vs Flensburg: 55

Kiel victories: 31
Flensburg victories: 20
draw: 4

Bundesliga matches:

Kiel victories: 22
Flensburg victories: 15
draw: 3

German Cup matches:

Kiel victories: 5
Flensburg victories: 3

European Cup/Champions League:

Kiel victories: 4
Flensburg victories: 4
draw: 1

Last ten matches:

Kiel victories: 6
Flensburg victories: 3
draw: 1

Matches in Flensburg (overall statistics):

Flensburg victories: 16
Kiel victories: 9
draw: 2

last Bundesliga match (26/5/2007): Flensburg vs Kiel 41:36
Champions League finals: 28:28 (in Flensburg), 29:27 (in Kiel)