Liqui Moly Handball Bundesliga 2023/24 – 5th Round

VfL Gummersbach vs Bergischer HC 27:33 (12:16)

by J. Schuetz

Before the Match

Bergischer HC had yet to record points in the 2023/24 Handball Bundesliga (HBL) season and were looking for another Derby win since March of 2019, while Gummersbach were expecting more after the successful return to the “Strongest league in the world”, one year ago.

1st Half

The home team had the better start to the match and jumped to an early lead (7:5), before Bergischer HC clawed themselves back into the game.

Gummersbach kept missing wide open shots, while the squad of head coach, Jamal Naji, picked up speed and intensity and by the time the two teams changed sides, BHC was enjoying a four-goal lead.

2nd Half

Gummersbach’s coach, Gudjo Vallur Sugurdsson, tried everything, including playing 7-against-six, to get his crew into striking distance, but BHC stayed in firm control, courtesy of an aggressive defense effort and the outstanding performance of goalkeeper, Peter Johannesson.

Player of the Match

Peter Johannesson

The Swedish goalkeeper delivered a stellar performance, saving 19 of the shots (42%) coming his way.

Post-Game Reactions

Daniel Rebmann (Goalkeeper VfL Gummersbach)

SOUND ON!

After the @liquimoly_hbl match between @vfl_gummersbach and @BHC06 , @saschastaat talked with Gummersbach goalkeeper, Daniel Rebmann, about the first few weeks with his new club. #GUMBHC 27:33 (12:16)#handball
👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/06k81UIpsQ

— stregspiller (@stregspiller) September 15, 2023

SOUND ON!

Is @vfl_gummersbach the right club for Daniel Rebmann?

After loss in the derby against @BHC06 , @saschastaat asked the goalkeeper about his expectations for the rest of the 2023/24 @liquimoly_hbl season.#handball
👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/8gxKudDZuG

— stregspiller (@stregspiller) September 15, 2023

Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson (Head coach VfL Gummersbach):

“Congratulations to the victory.  It’s difficult to sit here and I feel sorry for my team. We invested a great deal and expected a lot more. We had a good start to the match, but may be I caused the loss, when we played 7-against-6, as not much had happened up to this point; we trailed by four at the half.

“As we began cutting down the deficit,  we missed too many shots and then we fell apart.  BHC played a very good defense and we encountered significant problems as a result.

“In this league it gets very difficult, when you commit more technical errors compared to your opponent.  It was a deserved loss. Now, we have to continue to work, in order to do better in the games ahead.”

Jamal Naji (Head coach Bergischer HC):

“We are extremely happy having secured the two points, the victory and how it all came together. As it happens many times in professional sports, some were projecting a crisis at BHC.  But, a crisis only exists when it originates from within the team.

“We always believed and today we played with a lot of emotions.  In position play we could have been more efficient, but we did much better in our counter attacks, especially during the critical phases in the second half.

“We were able to tie the match time and again.  Our defense and great goalkeeping performance were the key to our success.”

Scorers

VfL Gummersbach

E. Vidarsson (3), T. Kodrin (2), M. Vujovic (2/1), J. Köster (4), Blohme (4), G. Tskhovrebadze (1), D. Mappes (3), O. Pregler (2), K. Horzen (3), T. Jansen (3)

Bergischer HC 

N. Beyer (4/1), L. Stutzke (3), L. Arnesson (2), T. Babak (2), F. Ladefoged (5), A. Seesing (2), I. Santos (1), E. Morante (2), D. M´Bengue (5), Y. Fraatz (7)