Potsdam fails after dominance: surprising defeat against Bietigheim!

Potsdam fails after dominance: surprising defeat against Bietigheim!

Potsdam, Deutschland - On Saturday evening, the 1st VfL Potsdam had to accept a bitter defeat in the relegation battle of the 1st handball Bundesliga. The team lost 28:30 (14:12) against SG BBM Bietigheim. This defeat marked the first victory for Bietigheim since October 31, 2024 and the first home win of the current season. In front of 2706 spectators in the EGETRANS Arena, Potsdam started and led in the initial phase 5: 1 and later with 8: 2.

The mood was optimistic at this point when Josip Simic scored the 12: 7 shortly before half -time. But Bietigheim reduced it to 12:14 until half -time. This was the first half -time lead for Potsdam in the league after three draws. In the second half, however, it quickly turned out that the effort for the Potsdamer would not be enough. Bietigheim equalized in the 37th minute to 16:16 and then took the lead.

criticism and error analyzes

coach Emir Kurtagic expressed sharp criticism of his team's performance and demanded clear improvements during a break. "We got tired and made stupid mistakes," said Josip Simic after the game. In the second half, Potsdam stayed without a goal for over seven minutes, which was crucial for the game outcome.

In the exciting final phase, it was ten minutes before the end 23:23. Maxim Orlov was the best thrower for Potsdam with six goals, while Bietigheim's Tom Wolf, Gonzalo Perez Arce and Paco Barthe also scored six goals.

outlook and relegation battle

The defeat increases the pressure on VfL Potsdam, which had been considered a safe relegation for months. A victory against TVB Stuttgart gave the team new confidence, but the current form causes questions. Next Saturday Potsdam will meet HC Erlangen, who is currently only one point behind Potsdam and is also lurking in the relegation zone as the penultimate table. The pressure on both teams is growing, especially after Bietigheim's first home win.

The fan base of handball in Germany remains strong. According to official statistics, there are almost 90,000 sports clubs with around 28 million members. Handball was invented in Germany at the end of the 19th century and has had a significant development since then. Germany is the current host of the European Handball Championships 2024, which also increases the popularity of sport and also ensures that the audience spectator.

In this challenging time, VfL Potsdam has to work on its strengths in order to be able to survive in the relegation battle, while Bietigheim can draw new courage through the success.

For more information on the current developments in German handball, visit the following pages: MAZ Online , Sport Bild and Handball 100 .