Handball - Defeat in Nantes: Lions second in European League
The Rhein-Neckar Löwen have suffered their first defeat in the European League. The German handball team lost 25:32 (11:14) at HBC Nantes on Tuesday and finished the preliminary round in second place, level on points with the French side. Nantes won the head-to-head tie after Mannheim had won the first leg 36:32. In the main round, the Lions will face Bundesliga rivals TSV Hannover-Burgdorf and Polish first-division club Górnik Zabrze from February.
Juri Knorr and Gustav Davidsson were the top scorers in Nantes with five goals each for Sebastian Hinze's team, which revealed major problems in attack. Thanks to goalkeeper Joel Birlehm, the deficit was still limited in the first half and Mannheim even reduced it to 14:15 after the break (34'). After that, however, they again lacked bright ideas in offense.
Rhine-Neckar Lions squad Table
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- Despite the defeat in Nantes, the Rhine-Neckar Lions managed to secure a spot in the main round of the European League, finishing second behind HBC Nantes.
- In preparation for the main round, the German handball team will face TSV Hannover-Burgdorf from Bundesliga and Górnik Zabrze from the Polish first-division in the European League.
- Handball fans in Baden-Württemberg and Germany as a whole were disappointed with the loss in France, as the team struggled with attacking problems throughout the match.
- Meanwhile, in Germany, TSV Hannover-Burgdorf and Rhine-Neckar Lions are set to face each other in a crucial match in the European League main round, with both teams aiming for a strong performance.
- The European League is not the only competition where German teams are making headlines, as TSV Hannover-Burgdorf is also doing well in the domestic Bundesliga, challenging for top positions alongside Rhine-Neckar Lions and other top German handball clubs.
Source: www.stern.de
