The first Danish Women’s League Power Rankings of the season are here, with Ola Selby taking a closer look at the opening weeks of the campaign. Esbjerg have looked every bit the powerhouse, but behind them the picture is far less clear – with Odense, Ikast, NFH and several others making their case for a place among the league’s elite.
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 Danish Women’s League Power Rankings for August and September!
1: Team Esbjerg
Current league standing: 1
Photo: Emma Wallskog / BILDBYRÅN
Five games, five wins. And while Esbjerg haven’t exactly spent the opening weeks of the season struggling to find their rhythm, the most interesting thing is perhaps how many different ways they have found to win.
Against Ringkøbing they led 17–10 at half-time before taking their foot off the gas, with Henny Reistad scoring ten and adding three assists. Copenhagen were simply slaughtered, 37–25, with Silje Solberg saving 43 percent and Reistad putting up 6+5. But it was Helene Kindberg who stole the show, scoring 10/11 with four assists from right back.
Against NFH, Esbjerg had to work harder, eventually winning 31–29 after leading 16–14 at half-time. Solberg made 17 saves, while Kindberg again impressed with 4+9 and Reistad added 9+4. Then came Aalborg, and, well, 38–22 says pretty much everything you need to know.
And then there was Odense. Esbjerg came from behind to win 26–23, despite not having Reistad on the court. Katharina Filter made 13 saves at a 40 percent save rate, and Live Rushfeldt Deila and Nora Mørk both scored 6+5.
For once, it was the defence that won it. And that might be the scariest part for the rest of the league.
2: Odense Håndbold
Current league standing: 2
Photo: Emma Wallskog / BILDBYRÅN
Odense have looked every bit like one of the teams capable of challenging Esbjerg, and the only blemish on their record came against the very same opponent.
They started by beating Ikast 32–28 away from home, before absolutely dismantling Skanderborg 42–20. It was Johanna Bundsen who stole the show, making 16 saves at 51 percent. Viola Leuchter added 5+4, while Tina Abdulla and Matilde Vestergaard both scored eight. Then came another convincing win, 38–30 against Ringkøbing, before NFH were dispatched 29–20. Bundsen made another 14 saves at 43 percent, while Leuchter had 8+5 and Romee Maarschalkerweerd went 7/7 from the line.
And then came Esbjerg. Odense led 13–11 at half-time and 17–14 after 35 minutes, but eventually found themselves trailing 19–20 with around 14 minutes to go. Bundsen made 15 saves, but the attack went quiet at exactly the wrong time. A strong start. One defeat. And a very clear reminder that Esbjerg are still Esbjerg.
3: Ikast Håndbold
Current league standing: 3
Ikast pushed Odense in the opening game and could have made things even more uncomfortable, but ultimately lost 32–28. Since then, things have gone rather smoothly. They conceded just nine goals in the first half against Nordvestjysk on their way to a 32–26 win, with Stine Skogrand scoring 4+5 and Emma Lindqvist adding 5/5+3.
Against Viborg, Ikast were even more impressive. A 30–25 win against capable opposition was built on a dominant performance, with Jamina Roberts scoring 3/3+9 and Lindqvist adding 7+2. Then came HØJ, and there wasn’t much drama to be found there. Ikast led 17–7 at half-time and eventually won 32–20.
So why third? Because Odense have already beaten them, and Esbjerg have been even more convincing. But Ikast have certainly done enough to look like a contender.
4: Nykøbing Falster Håndbold
Current league standing: 5
Photo: Mathilda Schuler / BILDBYRÅN
NFH have already shown both sides of themselves. They opened by smashing Skanderborg 35–20, with Clara Lerby scoring 12 goals. Then Lerby added 11 against Ringkøbing in a 33–30 win, while Mia Solberg Svele scored 10/15 from centre back. Then came Esbjerg, and NFH actually gave the league leaders a proper game. They were still within touching distance throughout, but when Reistad and Solberg are both doing what Reistad and Solberg do, there isn’t exactly a lot of room for error.
Odense was another story altogether. NFH were never really close in the 20–29 defeat. They finished the month with a convincing 30–18 win against Nordvestjysk, with Anne Christine Bossen making 19 saves at 54 percent.
There is plenty to like here. There are also two defeats against teams currently ahead of them. Hence fourth.
5: København Håndbold
Current league standing: 6
København have apparently decided that one-goal victories are their thing. They beat Sønderjyske 30–29 in the opener, with Maria Palsdottir Nólsoy putting together an excellent 7+6 performance from centre back and deciding the game late. Then came the inevitable reality check against Esbjerg, where they were never really close in a 37–25 defeat.
Against Aalborg, however, København bounced back in style. A 34–21 win was built on a good performance from Dutch goalkeeper Bianca Schanssema, who made 14 saves at 58 percent, while several outfield players also impressed.
And then? Another 30–29 win, this time against Horsens. Three wins from four games and two of them by exactly one goal. Good when it matters, apparently.
6: Viborg HK
Current league standing: 4
Viborg started strongly, beating Horsens 33–21 with Louise Bak Jensen making 14 saves. Then came a nice comeback against Silkeborg, where they trailed 14–12 at half-time before winning the second half 17–11. Marielle Martinsen scored 8+2, Stine Broløs was important, and the goalkeeping eventually made the difference. Then came Ikast. A decent performance, but 25 goals simply wasn’t enough in a 30–25 defeat.
Viborg responded by completely destroying Skanderborg, winning 37–20 after leading 19–10 at the break. And then they did something rather unexpected. They lost 35–28 to Ringkøbing.
The first half was a complete disaster, with Viborg trailing 21–14, and they never managed to recover. A very unexpected defeat that drags them down this ranking.
7: Silkeborg-Voel
Current league standing: 7
Silkeborg have been a little bit of everything so far. They opened with a 30–24 win against Nordvestjysk after a strong second half, with Natasja Andreasen scoring 7+5 from centre back. Then came a 29–25 loss against Viborg, where scoring just 25 goals made winning rather difficult. The real setback came against HØJ. After a promising start to the season, Silkeborg were beaten 31–26 at home.
But then came the response. A 32–31 away win against Sønderjyske was a really good result, and, perhaps more importantly, a proper team effort.
Two wins, two losses. Enough to keep them comfortably in the middle of this ranking – for now.
8: HØJ Elite
Current league standing: 10
HØJ started their campaign by absolutely destroying Aalborg. A 30–24 win doesn’t even tell the whole story, because the game was effectively over at half-time with HØJ leading 20–11. The next game was a different story. They led Horsens by one at the break but were eventually beaten 34–30 after a weaker second half.
Then came one of the more impressive results of this opening stretch: a 31–26 win away at Silkeborg. A stable performance on the road against a team that had started well. And then, well, Ikast happened. Seven goals in the first half. Twenty in total.
But losing to Ikast is hardly where HØJ should be picking up points anyway. The Silkeborg win makes sure this is still a positive start.
9: Sønderjyske
Current league standing: 8
Sønderjyske have been involved in some proper nail-biters. They opened with a one-goal loss against København, despite Nora Persson making 17 saves and keeping her team in the game. Then came a much more convincing performance against Aalborg, where Sønderjyske won 38–30 and pretty much everyone contributed. Every outfield player got on the scoresheet.
Against Horsens, Persson was excellent again with 16 saves, while Laura Jensen led the way offensively with 9+2 in a 25–21 win. Then came Silkeborg. Sønderjyske had the ball and a chance to equalise late, but were called for passive play. Ouch.
Two wins, two losses, and two of those games decided by one goal. There isn’t exactly a shortage of drama here.
10: NordVestjysk Elite
Current league standing: 11
The first couple of games weren’t exactly kind to Nordvestjysk. They lost 30–24 to Silkeborg and then 32–26 to Ikast, with the second half proving particularly difficult in both games. Against Ikast, there were simply too few players stepping up – although the opposition certainly didn’t make life easier.
Then things turned. Nordvestjysk beat Skanderborg 29–21, with Isabella Mathorne making 17 saves at 47 percent and Swedish duo Emma Wahlström and Elma Örtemark dominating offensively. Then came another win, this time 34–30 against Ringkøbing. Stina Littorin made 18 saves at 40 percent, while Norwegian centre back Julie Bøe Jacobsen delivered 9+7.
And then they ran into Anne Christine Bossen. NFH won 30–18, with Nordvestjysk making Bossen look like a wall. Still, two wins from five games and some very promising individual performances. Not bad at all.
11: Ringkøbing Håndbold
Current league standing: 12
Ringkøbing couldn’t have asked for a tougher start. Esbjerg in the opener. Then NFH. Then Odense. Three games, three teams with Champions League ambitions, and three defeats. Still, they did win the second half against Esbjerg, so there was at least something to take from that.
The first opponent without Champions League involvement was Nordvestjysk. Ringkøbing lost 34–30 and were never really close enough. And then came Viborg. This was the fun part. Ringkøbing shocked Viborg 35–28 after an absolutely sensational first half in which they led 21–14. Verona Rexhepi was ridiculous, scoring 13 goals and adding three assists.
One win from five games doesn’t look great on paper. But if you can beat Viborg 35–28, people are going to pay attention.
12: Horsens Håndbold
Current league standing: 9
The opening game against Viborg was, to put it mildly, not ideal. A 33–21 defeat and very little to suggest Horsens would be troubling the better teams. They responded nicely, though.
Against HØJ, Horsens improved considerably and won 34–30. Mathilde Bisgaard made 16 saves, while Louise Søndergaard put together an excellent 4+13 from right back. Then another 21-goal performance, this time in a 25–21 defeat against Sønderjyske. The defence was good. The attack? Not so much.
København then edged them 30–29 before Horsens finally produced their best result of the period: 26–23 against Aalborg. The game was tied 12–12 at half-time before Horsens pulled away in the final ten minutes. Zenia Hald Madsen came into goal in the second half and made a ridiculous ten saves from 14 shots. That’s a 71 percent save rate. Yeah. That’ll do.
13: Aalborg Håndbold
Current league standing: 13
Five games. Five losses. And it hasn’t exactly been a case of Aalborg being unlucky. They were already in serious trouble against HØJ at half-time, trailing 20–11. Against Sønderjyske, it was 20–12 at the break. Copenhagen beat them 34–21, although Aalborg were at least more competitive in the first half. Then Esbjerg, and a big loss, awaited.
And finally Horsens, where Aalborg lost 26–23 after a 12–12 first half. The difference there was a goalkeeper: Zenia Hald Madsen produced a sensational second half.
So, yes, five defeats. But the Horsens game at least showed that Aalborg can compete for stretches. They need considerably more than that, though.
14: Skanderborg Håndbold
Current league standing: 14
This has been rough. Skanderborg opened with a 20–35 hammering against NFH, although Rakul Wardum did her best in goal with 14 saves at 53 percent. Then came Odense. 20–42. Then Nordvestjysk, in a game that Skanderborg really would have hoped to win. Instead, they lost 29–21. And finally Viborg. 20–37.
That is four defeats, three of them by at least eight goals, and an attack that has struggled badly to produce enough goals. There isn’t much to dress up here. This has been a very difficult opening stretch for Skanderborg.