Flensburg end Lemgo's home run and take over top spot

The match was decided by two key factors: Flensburg's efficiency in front of goal and Buric's goalkeeping. SG finished with a shooting percentage of around 70 per cent, finding the target with precision from all back-court positions. The 39 goals represent their best tally of the young season, built on a varied positional attack.

In goal, Buric kept the contest at arm's length from early on. Fourteen saves at a rate of 33 per cent repeatedly denied Lemgo clear-cut chances, particularly from the wings. As a result, what was in itself a respectable TBV attack, which scored 30 goals, offered no remedy to the deficit.

Outstanding in Flensburg's attack were Simon Pytlick with nine goals and Marko Grgić, who scored eight times and in doing so notched his 500th field goal in the Bundesliga. Grgić took responsibility as playmaker and orchestrated the attack, not least because Aymeric Minne was missing in the back court. For Lemgo, Samuel Zehnder stood out with ten goals, including six successful penalties.

Also decisive was the fact that TBV produced too many technical errors and turnovers in the opening phase, which Flensburg ruthlessly converted into easy goals. In addition, SG's defence presented itself as significantly more stable than in previous weeks, shifting compactly and above all allowing the individual class of their back court to take effect.

For Flensburg, it is a fourth win in four matches. With 8:0 points, SG moved to the top of the Opel Handball-Bundesliga, at least temporarily. Buric described the victory as particularly important: "To finally win here after such a long time, that's a very good feeling." Grgić added: "I'm very relieved and incredibly proud of the team."

Flensburg made the better start and pulled away quickly thanks to a number of easy turnovers. Lemgo committed several technical errors in the opening minutes and found themselves chasing a deficit that was already noticeable after a quarter of an hour at 5:9. The biggest lead of the first half was eight goals, before the interval arrived with the score at 13:19.

Coach Florian Kehrmann tried every trick in the book: a classic setup with one pivot, four back-court players and at times an extra outfield player with seven attackers. But none of the variations brought the hoped-for grip on the game. Too often TBV got bogged down in patient positional play or came up against Buric.

Even after the restart, Lemgo found no way back. Emil Jakobsen opened the second half, and Flensburg gradually extended their lead to nine goals. Although TBV kept the contest alive for a long time with spectacular finishes from Grgić at the other end, the combination of a solid SG defence and a strong Buric allowed no real comeback.

The closing stages were marred by an injury to Tim Suton, who required treatment after an incident and left for the dressing room. At the final whistle, with the score at 30:39, the visitors' clear away win was confirmed. Zehnder put the defeat into perspective: "It's not a setback for the season, just a setback for today."

In the table, Flensburg extended their record to 8:0 points and took over first place for the time being. Lemgo, who stood sixth before the round, slipped to seventh with a now level record of 4:4 points. Both teams continue on the fifth matchday: TBV Lemgo Lippe host HC Erlangen on Sunday, 20 September 2026, at 16:30, while SG Flensburg-Handewitt face Handball Club Hamburg at home on the same day at 18:00. Until then, both sides have a little more time to prepare after the midweek round.

TBV Lemgo Lippe - SG Flensburg-Handewitt 30:39 (13:19)
TBV Lemgo Lippe: Ebner (10 saves), Möstl (2 saves); Zehnder 10/6, Willecke 5, Theilinger 3, Suton 3, Versteijnen 3, Hutecek 2, Nyfjäll 2, Wagner 1, Valkovskis 1
SG Flensburg-Handewitt: Buric (14 saves), Möller (1 save); Pytlick 9, Kirkelokke 8, Grgić 8, Møller 5, Jakobsen 4/2, Volz 2, Bergholt 1, Novak 1, Arnarsson 1
Top Player: Zehnder (HPI 86) / Pytlick (HPI 90)
Suspensions: 1 / 3

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