Eisenach wins first home game: Spikic and Aellen came through

For long stretches, the match was no spectacle, but rather a hard-fought contest with numerous stoppages and a string of suspensions. It was ultimately decided in the second half, and there primarily through the axis between goal and back court. Matija Spikic finished with 15 saves and a save rate of 37.5 per cent, figures that took the game away from the opposition. At the other end, Martin Tomovski managed seven saves.

Added to that was the efficiency in attack. Eisenach converted 72 per cent of their shots, whilst Bietigheim managed only around 51 per cent. A key factor was the return from the seven-metre line: Felix Aellen was flawless here and finished with twelve goals in total, seven of them from penalties. Bietigheim, by contrast, failed to convert any of their four awarded seven-metre throws.

Alongside Aellen, David Móré was the hosts' most effective attacker with eight goals, often through quick balls and from movement. For Bietigheim the burden was spread more widely, without any player able to seize control of the contest: Marcus Norrbrink and Mathias Rohde Larson each finished on four goals. For long periods the promoted side struggled to find solutions in set attack and committed too many technical errors.

For Eisenach, this success is more than just a point on the board. Their last five home matches had all ended in defeat, most recently a heavy loss against Balingen-Weilstetten. "Accordingly, the relief at securing their first win of the season was immense. That was how we want to play, with so much passion, heart, working together, the whole match", said Spikic after the game.

Bietigheim made the better start and led 2:4 early on, repeatedly through pivot play and the second wave. Eisenach needed a few minutes to find their rhythm and trailed for a spell of around four and a half minutes without scoring themselves. Only through penalties and Spikic's first saves did the hosts fight their way back to 8:8.

The first half dragged on with numerous suspensions before ending in a fair 14:14. At half-time, Dominik Claus called for composure in an interview: "Sometimes you have to apply the handbrake when you notice things are getting a bit disjointed."

After the restart, the match swung decisively. Eisenach emerged from the dressing room more focused, reduced their own errors and benefited from an inspired Spikic, who made several saves right at the start of the second half. Through a 3:0 run the hosts pulled clear for the first time and then extended their lead step by step.

A 5:1 run around the 40th minute brought the decisive breakthrough, as Eisenach opened up a clear gap for the first time. Bietigheim found the necessary penetration in attack ever more rarely, and even the timeouts from coach Hartmut Mayerhoffer, who repeatedly demanded more height in defence, changed little. Carried by a vocal Werner-Assmann-Halle once more, ThSV saw out the lead safely and celebrated a 31:25 home victory in the end.

As it stands, ThSV Eisenach sit in 11th place, SG BBM Bietigheim in 14th. For Eisenach, the next home match comes on Friday, 18 September 2026, at 20:00 against THW Kiel. Bietigheim host TSV Hannover-Burgdorf a day later, on Saturday, 19 September 2026, at 19:00.

ThSV Eisenach - SG BBM Bietigheim 31:25 (14:14)
ThSV Eisenach: Spikic (15 saves), Grupe; Aellen 12/7, Móré 8, Ende 4, Seitz 3, Walz 2, Joelsson 1, Solak 1
SG BBM Bietigheim: Tomovski (7 saves), Kanters; Norrbrink 4, Rohde Larson 4, Wucherpfennig 3, Fischer 3, M'Bengue 2, Orlov 2, Claus 2, Wiederstein 1, Hermann 1, Nicolaus 1, Vlahovic 1, Strosack 1
Top Player: Aellen (HPI 94) / Wucherpfennig (HPI 72)
Suspensions: 4 / 7

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