Bundesliga Power Rankings: “The future is once again bright for Kiel”

The first Bundesliga Power Rankings of the season is here, with reporter Ola Selby assessing all 18 teams after the opening two months of action. Who has impressed, who has struggled, and which teams are already showing signs of what could lie ahead? From a rejuvenated THW Kiel and an explosive SG Flensburg-Handewitt to a surprising HBW Balingen-Weilstetten and a struggling HSG Wetzlar, here is how the Bundesliga stacks up.

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 August and September!

1: SG Flensburg-Handewitt

Current league standing: 2

The most fun team to watch so far this season. When the trio of Simon Pytlick, Aymeric Minne, and Marko Grgic gets going in the backcourt, no team will be able to stop them. They play with such high speed, and the technical and individual level is through the roof. Flensburg had to dig deep in their opener against Eisenach, though, leaning on a great sub-in by Simon Möller in the end to seal the deal. After that, it’s been mostly smooth sailing, winning another four straight before the big derby against Kiel.

The big one was, of course, the Nordderby against the Zebras to end the month. Flensburg were trailing at Kiel’s home ground all game long, and with about ten minutes left they were down by four to five goals. In came Simon Möller (guess who’s back) and completely turned the game around for Flensburg (well, almost). Undersigned has seen Möller do similar things in the Swedish league for several seasons, but to do it in this environment in front of the Kiel crowd – and by “it” I mean saving seven shots and landing on a 64% save percentage – is nothing short of sensational.

Flensburg didn’t win the game, though (they almost lost it, like you all know), but still a great point considering it all.

2: SC Magdeburg

Current league standing: 1

What is going on at Magdeburg? Those were my thoughts when they struggled to beat Balingen (it took a last-second goal by Albin Lagergren to win the game), and definitely after the loss against Melsungen, a game in which Melsungen were the better team and several Magdeburg players looked frustrated. Were they affected by all the transfer rumours surrounding players like Magnus Saugstrup and Felix Claar?

Perhaps. But Magdeburg responded in Magdeburg fashion, first dismantling Bietigheim 33–24 and then completely dominating Kiel, a team who had not lost a game so far during the season, winning by six goals (and it could have been more).

Magdeburg have struggled a bit during the first two months of the season. That’s not an exaggeration on my part, but the truth. But they have also shown that they are still the team to beat in the Bundesliga this season.

3: THW Kiel

Current league standing: 3

Kiel started the season by winning five straight games. Sure, they only faced opponents they should beat, but that fact hasn’t stopped the team from losing in the past couple of years. But not anymore, not under new coach Börge Lund. Lemgo in the opener? No problem. Bietigheim? Commanding. Göppingen, Hannover, and Eisenach? Not as easy, but still six out of six points.

Then came the first big test: at home against rival Flensburg. Kiel looked like the better team, and Domen Makuc dominated (as he has done since moving from Barça), until they didn’t and had to settle for one point. The next big test was even tougher: Magdeburg in the GETEC Arena. And Kiel had no chance in that game at all, scoring only 26 goals against a fired-up home side.

But all in all, this looks like a completely rejuvenated Kiel team. The defence, with monster Julian Köster, is better than it has been for I don’t know how long. And Domen Makuc has made the offence one of the best in the league. The future is once again bright for Kiel!

4: Füchse Berlin

Current league standing: 5

Does Mathias Gidsel still got it? Well… yes! The Danish phenom is still the best player in the world, but this season he is being “forced” to play more in defence. Or perhaps not more, but at least in a tougher position. Has that affected him in his attacking play? Not really. Second in the top scorer chart with fewer matches played than number one Nikola Roganovic.

However, Gidsel is looking a bit alone in attack. Sure, Matthes Langhoff has shown in some games that he has a high ceiling (nine goals in the opener against Melsungen), and Tobias Grøndahl has done the same in other games (ten goals against Bergischer), but it would surprise me if Gidsel isn’t missing his old partner Lasse Andersson.

Enough about Gidsel, at least for now. Berlin as a team? They were impressive against both Melsungen and Gummersbach, but not even close to defeating Magdeburg. And they came away with blotta förskräckelsen against Stuttgart, a game they won by a one-goal margin. Still, a solid month.

5: MT Melsungen

Current league standing: 6

August and September were quite the roller-coaster ride for Melsungen and their fans. Two losses (against Berlin in the opener and Löwen to end the month), one draw against Gummersbach, and a commanding win against the unbeatable Magdeburg (plus big wins against Göppingen and Stuttgart).

To add to the roller-coaster ride, Melsungen were down eight goals at the break against Berlin in the opener, but almost turned it around in the second half. Against Göppingen, they were up by four at the break but destroyed the guests in the second half, ultimately winning by 13. And against Gummersbach, Florian Drosten equalised with less than 30 seconds to go. Bumpy ride, indeed.

But the big game, and big win, came against Magdeburg. And the MVP in that game, and in most games for Melsungen, was entrenador Roberto Parrondo. The Spaniard outcoached Bennet Wiegert, and “no” coach does that. Erik Balenciaga put on a clinic at centre-back (eight goals and three assists in 37 minutes of playing time), and Reynir Thor Stefansson played a great game at right-back (not his normal position) when Melsungen missed their natural right-backs. Impressive performance from start to finish by a team with an extremely high ceiling (and, sorry Melsungen fans, low floor).

6: VfL Gummersbach

Current league standing: 7

Let me start by confirming two things before I go on to hail Nikola Roganovic for a couple of paragraphs: No team has had as tough a schedule in the Bundesliga so far as Gummersbach. And Miro Schluroff is amazing. Just imagine when he learns to make his teammates better. Wow!

Now on to Nikola Roganovic. His first game in the Bundesliga was not the easiest. Playing against Magnus Saugstrup and SC Magdeburg, he scored one goal on nine attempts in the loss. Ouch! How did the 20-year-old react to that? By scoring nine goals against Löwen, and then 15 goals against Melsungen (nine in a row!). It’s not like he has slowed down after that either, and the fact is that he sits top of the top scorer chart in the Bundesliga. In his first matches at this level. And add to that the fact that Roganovic has 15 assists as well, and has also shown great play in defence.

Having followed him since his early days in Sweden, impressing in youth tournaments and later with HK Malmö at senior level, I am not surprised by his success. But I did not think that he would figure out the Bundesliga this fast.

Oh, I almost forgot, Gummersbach took seven out of twelve points. Okay point tally considering they played teams like Magdeburg, Berlin, Melsungen, and Löwen (away).

7: TSV Hannover-Burgdorf

Current league standing: 4

I was thinking about ranking Hannover even higher, to be honest. They are fourth in the Bundesliga table, having only lost one out of six games so far. But besides the game against Kiel, they haven’t really been tested by any other potential top team in the league, and that’s why I place them in the seventh spot.

The trend from the last couple of seasons continues. What trend? That Hannover “only” play in tight games. The opener saw them beating Löwen 32–31 after a late decider by, who else, August Pedersen. The next match? 28–28 against Erlangen after a goal on the final whistle by Daniel Weber. Next up was Hamburg, a game Hannover won 30–28 (both halves by 15–14). Then a three-goal loss against Kiel, and a two-goal win against Bietigheim before their only clear win took place: 36–28 against Göppingen.

Justus Fischer has looked great, and so has Pedersen. Leif Tissier and Renārs Uščins are also worth mentioning for their play.

8: Frisch Auf Göppingen

Current league standing: 10

After a tough start to the season last year, Göppingen completely turned it around after the championship break in January. The spring form is not completely gone, but Göppingen have not looked as solid either as they did from February to June, with three wins and three losses to show for it.

The wins came against Erlangen (great team effort where 10 out of 14 players scored), Hamburg (Erik Persson masterclass, no wonder Melsungen is rumoured to be after him), and Löwen (second one-score win in a row). All opponents Göppingen should have the potential to beat.

The losses? By 13 against Melsungen (horrible), one against Kiel (deserved more), and Hannover (not even close). All three teams are teams you really can’t blame Göppingen for losing against. So, to sum up: Göppingen have performed just about exactly what’s expected of them.

9: TVB Stuttgart

Current league standing: 11

With age comes wisdom. And apparently a lot of goals. Kai Häfner has done nothing but score goals for Stuttgart for the past few seasons, and the 54-year-old (kidding, he is only 37) continues to do so this year, scoring 41 goals in five games so far.

What can be said about Stuttgart as a team? They are very reliant on Häfner’s goalscoring. And, much like the case with Göppingen, win the games they “should” win, and spring no surprises in games against, on paper, superior opponents. And they are involved in tight games.

One-goal wins against Bergischer and Balingen. Draw against Hamburg, and a one-goal loss against Berlin. The outlier came against Melsungen, where they lost by five. Stuttgart, and Häfner in particular, can dance with anybody!

10: HC Erlangen

Current league standing: 8

Ladies and gentlemen, we are at the portion of the rankings where I could have lined up four or five teams, closed my eyes, and placed them anywhere between spots nine and thirteen. Erlangen won three games in the first two months of the season, lost just as many, and had a tight duel against Hannover that ended in one point each.

We have seen plenty of Erlangen players having great individual performances in these first two months: Yannik Bialowas has been a revelation (at least for me), scoring eleven in the opener. Don’t forget about Frieder Bandlow nor Marek Nissen, both almost scoring at will in a couple of games, or the play in goal by Rubens Pierre in the big win against Eisenach: 15 saves and a 44% save percentage scared the bejesus out of the Eisenach players.

So, a lot to be happy about if you are an Erlangen fan. Things are looking up!

11: Rhein-Neckar Löwen

Current league standing: 9

David Späth is still one of the top keepers in the Bundesliga. The German international has been on top of his game during basically all of the matches so far. Unfortunately for Löwen, they don’t have that many points to show for it (six out of twelve, to be more precise).

Ahead of the season, I thought Löwen’s biggest issue would be in defence. But they have actually been okay, conceding 32, 31, 26, 27, 29, and 28 goals respectively. The attack, however, has not looked as great as I would have thought, especially considering the players they have available in Haukur Thrastarson, Dani Baijens, and Edwin Aspenbäck, to name a few.

But to end this on a positive note (because that’s what Löwen did in September): The win against Melsungen was impressive. And hopefully something that gives Maik Machulla and his team something to build on in October.

12: HBW Balingen-Weilstetten

Current league standing: 12

Balingen have played a lot better than I thought they would. And they definitely have more points (four out of ten) than I thought they would. I am quite impressed by how they have performed so far, to be quite honest. They got a perfect start to their comeback in the Bundesliga, beating Hamburg 30–26, much thanks to Daniel Rebmann in goal. And then they outclassed and outplayed Eisenach, winning 36–37 in Eisenach.

After that, it’s not been that much fun for Balingen, losing three straight. But still a month in which they did more than anybody could have asked for.

Would you like some player praise? Of course you do. Yonatan Dayan and Csaba Leimeter have looked amazing.

13: TBV Lemgo

Current league standing: 13

When asked ahead of the season which team would be the big disappointment, I answered TBV Lemgo. Not because I believe they will be bad, but because they played their asses off last season, or at least during the first half of the season before they fell off.

Now teams are more familiar with their special tactics with four backcourt players (and more teams are using it themselves), and Lemgo are not surprising anyone anymore. Three losses and only two wins so far is nowhere close to how they started last season. Sure, two of the losses came against Kiel and Flensburg, but losing at home against Erlangen is not acceptable.

Joël Willecke is my new favourite player. The Swiss pivot is big, mobile, and a goalscoring threat in every attack. Also, the 22-year-old knows how to celebrate a goal, hitting the electric guitar riff celebration against Kiel after one of his seven goals in that game.

14: ThSV Eisenach

Current league standing: 15

When I sat myself down to watch Eisenach take on Flensburg in the Bundesliga opener, I was thoroughly impressed by the away side. They pushed Flensburg to the brink that game and played exactly how you should against a superior team (smart and, sometimes, a little bit dirty). Flensburg won the game, but Eisenach won a lot of hearts. Okay, that was cheesy, but Eisenach at least made me feel like they were going to have a great season.

After that? Not the same feeling regarding this team. Sure, they defeated Bietigheim (Felix Aellen twelve goals) and secured a point against Wetzlar (big whoop…), but other than that, three more losses (Balingen, Kiel, and Erlangen).

Aellen has looked great, but the time when Eisenach could beat any team is long gone.

15: SG BBM Bietigheim

Current league standing: 16

Bietigheim have not looked as great as fellow newcomers Balingen, but they had a similar start to the season, winning their first game against Wetzlar by two goals. Mathias Rohde Larson performed well with nine goals and two assists, and Martin Tomovski had himself a game with 15 saves. So far, so good.

Then everything went downwards. A bit dramatic? Yes. But they lost five straight games after the opener, and they did so with a total of almost 25 goals. Against Hannover they came close, losing by only two goals after being down 11–17 at half-time, but other than that they were completely outplayed by Kiel, Lemgo, Eisenach, and Magdeburg.

16: Handball Club Hamburg

Current league standing: 14

Handball Club Hamburg. New club name, but there is nothing new about the way Hamburg play handball. And in August and September they only secured three out of twelve points. Yikes. As a matter of fact, their first win of the season came in the sixth round against an abysmal Wetzlar team.

Nicolaj Jørgensen is an amazing player and one of the top goalscorers in the league, but he needs help. Oliver Norlyk (9+6) and Elias Kofler (6+8) stepped up against Wetzlar, but in all other games it’s been mostly the Jørgensen show.

Hamburg are in trouble, no doubt about it.

17: Bergischer HC

Current league standing: 18

Most other months in most other leagues, Bergischer would have been a sure bottom-of-the-rankings team. But not this month, no no. Not because Bergischer looked great (they really didn’t), but because they at least lost against some top teams in Flensburg, Berlin, and Gummersbach.

The other three losses? By one goal against Stuttgart, by one goal against Löwen, and, you guessed it, by one goal against Erlangen. Sure, they were unlucky in a couple of those, but they still need to perform better in crunch time if they are to win games in this league.

On a different note, Fynn Hangstein has looked amazing. But Bergischer as a team must do more in order to avoid a relegation battle.

18: HSG Wetzlar

Current league standing: 17

The first bottom ranking of the season goes to Wetzlar. They got a point against Eisenach, but other than that they have looked far from great. Losing against one newcomer in Bietigheim (at home, at that), and away to Lemgo and Hamburg. And, to be honest, they haven’t been that close to winning games either (except against Eisenach), compared to Bergischer.

Last season they secured the new Bundesliga contract in the last hour. And it’s already looking like a similar season is on the way for Wetzlar.