Championship for THW Kiel only a formality

The record champion from Kiel has not yet secured the championship in the Handball Bundesliga. With the current lead and the better goal difference against the pursuers SC Magdeburg, the league title is nevertheless only a matter of form. THW Kiel will clinch the championship even with a defeat – provided that SCM do not win by more than 30 goals.

It therefore remains to be seen with which attitude the Zebras approach the season finale at FA Göppingen on Sunday. The best bookmakers see the record champions as favourites and only offer betting odds of 1.26 for a tip on the Zebras in Göppingen vs. Kiel.

Because the last game of the season has no special significance for Göppingen, the clear favourite role of the HBL leaders from Kiel is understandable. In the first half of the season, THW beat Göppingen 30:26. A similar result is likely this time around as well.

Since September 2015, a prediction on the Zebras has paid off 14 times in a row in an HBL duel between Göppingen vs. Kiel. It is therefore by no means unreasonable to place a bet on THW Kiel this time. The only question for our prediction is how high THW will win at FA Göppingen.

Göppingen – Statistics & current form

Frisch Auf! Göppingen will end the season in the Handball Bundesliga in no man’s land in the table. Compared to last season, when FA Göppingen finished fifth and thus entered the international competition, this time only 14th place is feasible as the best possible result for the season.

To achieve this, however, Göppingen must win their last match of the season, otherwise Stuttgart can overtake them in the parallel match against Hannover-Burgdorf. If you take a look at the recent form curve of the 14th-placed team in the table, it is risky to make a prediction on the hosts in the league clash between Göppingen and Kiel.

In the last five Bundesliga games, FA Göppingen have lost three times. Most recently, there was a bitter 32:35 defeat at VfL Gummersbach. The Göppingen team lost the momentum after the victory against the Berlin Füchse. Nevertheless, the home advantage against THW Kiel comes in handy.

Will the series be extended in the EWS Arena?

At home, Göppingen have not lost any of their last four competitive games at the EWS Arena since the defeat (26:28) against Wetzlar. In these four home games, FA Göppingen scored a total of 130 goals – an average of 32.5 goals per home win. If they keep this up, they can also expect an offensive spectacle against the Kiel handballers.

Head coach Markus Baur, who only took over the team in November last year after a mixed start to the season from FAG, secured the team’s place in the Handball Bundesliga with a race to catch up and can now round off the season with a home match against THW Kiel. For the season finale against Kiel, Baur will have almost all options in the squad at his disposal.

Internally, the goal-scoring list for the Goeppingers is currently headed by Marcel Schiller. The German international has already scored 144 goals for the Hohenstauffer and is thus a guarantee for success at FA Göppingen.

Last games of Göppingen:

Bundesliga

  • 08/06/2023 – VfL Gummersbach 35 – 32 FA Göppingen
  • 04/06/2023 – FA Göppingen 25 – 19 Füchse Berlin
  • 01/06/2023 – MT Melsungen 26 – 23 FA Göppingen

EHF European League Final Stage

  • 28/05/2023 – Montpellier 29 – 33 FA Göppingen
  • 27/05/2023 – Fraikin BM Granollers 31 – 29 FA Göppingen

Kiel – Statistics & current form

The Kiel handballers have set the course for the championship with a clear victory against HSG Wetzlar. Only a clear defeat against Göppingen and at the same time a clear victory of SC Magdeburg can knock the record champion from Kiel off the Bundesliga throne.

The lead over SCM is currently two points. In addition, THW Kiel has the upper hand with a goal difference of currently “+37”. It is therefore more than unrealistic for the Zebras to lose the HBL championship this season after all. In Göppingen, even another victory by THW Kiel is close.

It would be the ninth HBL victory in a row. Since the draw (34:34) against Magdeburg, Kiel have won each of their last eight Bundesliga games. The Zebras have scored a total of 266 goals – an average of 33.25 goals per match. It is quite possible that this will also be the case against FA Göppingen.

FA Göppingen is one of the Zebras’ favourite opponents
THW Kiel have won each of their last six away games in Göppingen since September 2015. The last time the Zebras were guests at the EWS Arena, THW Kiel celebrated a 38:26 victory. This was the second time in a row that Kiel broke the 30-goal mark in an away game at FAG.

Considering how strong the Zebras’ attack was during the week against Wetzlar, it is obvious that at least 30 goals will be scored this time as well. Betting on this is a good idea, as Kiel have the third-best attack in the Handball Bundesliga with 1064 goals.

Internally, the top scorer is Niclas Ekberg. The right winger of the Zebras has already scored 135 goals this season and will therefore also be set for the season finale against FA Göppingen. Rotation is out of the question for THW Kiel anyway.

Last games of Kiel:

Bundesliga

  • 07/06/2023 – THW Kiel 38 – 23 HSG Wetzlar
  • 04/06/2023 – Bergischer HC 26 – 29 THW Kiel
  • 28/05/2023 – HSV Hamburg 30 – 34 THW Kiel
  • 21/05/2023 – THW Kiel 35 – 26 HC Erlangen

Champions League Final Stage

  • 18/05/2023 – Paris Handball 32 – 29 THW Kiel

Göppingen – Kiel Direct comparison / H2H-Balance

In 69 encounters between the two clubs, THW Kiel had a total of 55 victories. FA Göppingen, on the other hand, prevailed against the Zebras twelve times, while two other matches ended in a draw. For almost eight years, Kiel has won each of the last 14 HBL matches against FA Göppingen. In the first leg of the current season, Kiel won 30:26 against the Göppingen side.

Göppingen – Kiel Tip

THW Kiel is only one step away from the championship title. Even with a defeat against FA Göppingen, Kiel will probably be crowned German champions and thus win their 23rd league title overall. It is certainly a possibility, because Kiel will still have the upper hand on goal difference if they are tied on points with SC Magdeburg.

Opponents FA Göppingen also come in handy. In the last 14 HBL matches, THW Kiel has won against Göppingen. It is quite possible that the winning streak will be extended this time as well. The impressive goal quota of the Kiel handball team in the HBL’s season-ending spurt speaks in favour of this.

We place our Goeppingen vs. Kiel betting odds at 1.91 on a win for Kiel with at least a five-goal lead.

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