February shook up the hierarchy. Gummersbach storm into the elite, Berlin look terrifying in attack, and at the bottom the alarm bells are ringing louder by the week.
Power Rankings is Ola Selbys monthly take on which teams are truly in form. It’s not about the league table, but about how the teams have performed during the past month.
Here are the Bundesliga Power Rankings for February!
1: VfL Gummersbach
Current Bundesliga standing: 6
Power rankings december: 8
Photo: Jon Olav Nesvold / BILDBYRÅN
Three wins. Three statements.
33–26 against Flensburg. 35–27 against Eisenach. 34–26 away in Kiel. That’s not a good month – that’s a power surge.
The common denominator? Defense. And Dominik Kuzmanovic playing like a brick wall with anger issues: 38 percent, 37 percent, 47 percent in the three games. When he’s like that, Gummersbach can beat anyone.
Up front, it’s pick your poison. Vidarsson slicing through (9 in Kiel), Köster orchestrating (7+3), Schluroff delivering goals and assists like a logistics company. This was balanced, brutal and brilliantly structured handball.
Right now? No one wants to see Gummersbach in March.
2: SC Magdeburg
Current Bundesliga standing: 1
Power rankings december: 1
Still top. Still the benchmark. But not invincible.
They looked untouchable in the first half against Lemgo (19–13) and dismantled Minden exactly as expected (38–21). The 34–23 away win in Melsungen was a reminder of their defensive ceiling – and when Felix Claar drops twelve, life is good.
But Kiel exposed something. A strong first half turned into a tactical lesson after the break. Magdeburg can be outmaneuvered.
That doesn’t make them less dangerous. It just makes the title race more interesting.
3: Füchse Berlin
Current Bundesliga standing: 4
Power rankings december: 4
Photo (archive): Michael Erichsen / BILDBYRÅN
If offense wins beauty contests, Berlin take the crown.
41 goals in Wetzlar. 37 against Stuttgart. 35 in Bergisch. Mathias Gidsel is doing Mathias Gidsel things (9+4 here, 8+3 there), but he’s not alone. Gröndahl went 12/14. Freihöfer 11/14. Andersson pulling strings.
The only concern? Defensive focus. Stuttgart led at halftime in Berlin and scored 32. That shouldn’t happen to a serious contender.
Still – when they hit 24 in a second half like they did against Stuttgart, you stop nitpicking and just enjoy the show.
4: THW Kiel
Current Bundesliga standing: 5
Power rankings december: 5
Photo:
nordlyset-fotografie.com
Classic Kiel month. Grit, control, one wobble.
They edged Löwen with Johansson deciding it with two seconds left (7+6 in that game). Then came the scalp of the month: 31–29 against Magdeburg. Kiel were clearly better after halftime (21–17). Zerbe clinical (9/11), Johansson creative (5+5), de Vargas solid (14 saves).
Göppingen? Professional job. Then Gummersbach happened. Kiel couldn’t solve the defensive puzzle and got punished.
The ceiling is high. The consistency? Still a work in progress.
5: SG Flensburg-Handewitt
Current Bundesliga standing: 3
Power rankings december: 3
Photo: Michael Erichsen / BILDBYRÅN
The 26–33 loss in Gummersbach was ugly. Even 17 saves from Möller couldn’t mask it.
They needed Hamburg – and got it, 38–35. But conceding 21 in the second half is not vintage Flensburg. Interestingly, 30 of the 38 goals came from Danish hands (Pytlick, Kirkeløkke, Möller, Jakobsen). Efficient, yes. Sustainable? We’ll see.
Comfortable enough against Erlangen and Wetzlar. Solid, but not scary.
Flensburg are good. The question is whether they can be great again.
6: Rhein-Neckar Löwen
Current Bundesliga standing: 7
Power rankings december: 6
Close to something. Not quite there.
They pushed Kiel to the brink and led by three at halftime. Beat Minden with Kohlbacher and Thrastarson enjoying life again. Turned around Lemgo from 13–17 down, with Sandell exploding (13/15 + 3 assists) and Späth saving 15.
There’s quality here. And rhythm. But the margins are thin.
Also: whispers about point deductions? That subplot could matter.
7: TBV Lemgo
Current Bundesliga standing: 4
Power rankings december: 2
From contender to… complicated.
They improved massively after halftime in Magdeburg (won the second half 19–17), beat Erlangen with Möstl’s 16 saves, but lost control against Löwen and conceded 39 in Hamburg.
Versteijnen remains central (9+4, 8 goals, 7+3 – he’s everywhere). Zehnder and Suton brought the fireworks against Hamburg.
Yet February felt like a step sideways. Not back, but not forward either.
8: MT Melsungen
Current Bundesliga standing: 8
Power rankings december: 7
Simic is back. That matters.
Wins against Bergischer and Göppingen were built on defense, just nine conceded in one half against Göppingen. When Simic finds rhythm (16 saves, 41 percent in Hamburg), Melsungen become a different animal.
But offensively? Still streaky. Kristopans went 7/7 in Hamburg and still looked lonely.
Magdeburg exposed the gap to the top. Again.
9: TVB Stuttgart
Current Bundesliga standing: 12
Power rankings december: 14
Photo: Petter Arvidson / BILDBYRÅN
Momentum shift. Huge win against Hannover, Häfner everywhere (11+4). Beat Eisenach. Competed well in Berlin and even led at halftime.
This team scores. Häfner is rolling, Mengon contributing, Zieker deciding tight games.
They’re not safe. But they’re alive.
10: TSV Hannover-Burgdorf
Current Bundesliga standing: 9
Power rankings december: 9
They usually win the close ones. This time? Mixed.
Last-second win in Erlangen (Michalczik dagger). Professional against Wetzlar. Then a rare tight loss in Stuttgart.
Uscins and Pedersen keep delivering. Birlehm’s 17 saves against Wetzlar were crucial.
Hannover remain exactly what they’ve been all season: competitive, disciplined, slightly limited.
11: Hamburg Handball
Current Bundesliga standing: 10
Power rankings december: 12
Chaotic but dangerous.
Nightmare start against Leipzig. Six-goal halftime deficit versus Flensburg. Defensive masterclass to beat Melsungen (Paulsen Haug 14 saves). Then defensive collapse in Lemgo (39 conceded).
Nicolaj Jørgensen is the engine (8+5, 7+5, 8 again). Mortensen reliable.
Hamburg mix brilliance with breakdowns. Entertaining? Absolutely. Stable? Not yet.
12: HC Erlangen
Current Bundesliga standing: 14
Power rankings december: 11
Photo: Michael Erichsen / BILDBYRÅN
So close. So painful.
Lost on the buzzer to Hannover. Viggo Kristjansson scored 11 in Lemgo and it wasn’t enough. Good offensive stretches against Flensburg, but defensive cracks everywhere.
The draw against Eisenach showed character, but scoreless in the last two minutes when they had the chance to win.
This is relegation-zone psychology creeping in.
13: Göppingen
Current Bundesliga standing: 11
Power rankings december: 13
Photo: Petter Arvidson / BILDBYRÅN
Life without Hallbäck is… thinner.
Draw against Minden. Struggled massively in attack versus Melsungen and Kiel. Schiller went 9/11, but support was scarce.
Defensively they compete. Offensively they stall. That’s a dangerous combination.
14: ThSV Eisenach
Current Bundesliga standing: 13
Power rankings december: 15
Better. Not safe. Beat Bergischer thanks to a monster first half (21–13). Drew with Erlangen after Felix Aellen went 11/12+3. Spikic solid between the posts.
But Gummersbach showed the gap. Eisenach fight. They just don’t always have enough.
15: HSG Wetzlar
Current Bundesliga standing: 18
Power rankings december: 17
Photo: Simon Hastegård / BILDBYRÅN
The table doesn’t lie. Berlin dismantled them. Hannover controlled them. Flensburg handled them.
And yet, Andreas Palicka keeps them respectable: 11 saves here, 13 there. Ahouansou scored nine against Flensburg. They even had a chance to beat Leipzig late on.
But “respectable losses” don’t save seasons.
16: GWD Minden
Current Bundesliga standing: 16
Power rankings december: 16
A good point in Göppingen (Vorlicek equaliser on the buzzer). Then reality hit. Never close against Löwen. Completely overrun in Magdeburg.
Semisch fought (14 saves in Göppingen). The margins elsewhere are simply too big.
17: Bergischer HC
Current Bundesliga standing: 15
Power rankings december: 10
February hurt. Three losses. Down eight at halftime in Eisenach. Predictably beaten by Berlin.
Rudeck saved 15 against Melsungen. Beyer went 9/10. It didn’t matter.
From top-half hopes to looking over their shoulder in a blink.
Disclaimer: Leipzig only played two matches and are not in the rankings this month.