THW Kiel may have won all of their matches, but they’re not sitting at the top of the Bundesliga Power Rankings for September – the first rankings of the 2025–26 season.
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 (and in this case, also the few matches played in August).
Here are the Bundesliga Power Rankings for September!
1: SC Magdeburg
Current Bundesliga standing: 4
Photo (achive): Daniel Stiller / BILDBYRÅN.
Magdeburg have come out swinging this season. Their opener against Lemgo set the tone: a 33–29 victory where Omar Ingi Magnusson lit up the scoresheet with 15 goals and the team stormed ahead 6–0 in the opening minutes. That blend of ruthless efficiency in attack and quick defensive recoveries carried over into convincing wins against Hannover (40–34) and Leipzig (41–34). The sheer number of goals they’re putting up shows just how dangerous their attack is right now.
The only blemish on their record so far is the 31–31 draw with Erlangen, a match where they looked human for once (not strange considering their CL matchup against Barca a couple of days earlier). But even there, their resilience in clawing back from deficits underlined their strength. This is a side that always finds ways to score, and in Sergey Hernández they also boast the most in-form goalkeeper in the league right now.
Still, the story of Magdeburg’s September is the Magnusson show. The Icelandic right back has rediscovered the form that once made him one of the most feared scorers in Europe. With 49 goals in just five league games, he looks unstoppable. Combine that with a rock-solid defense and the security of Hernández between the posts, and it’s hard to argue against Magdeburg being the best team in Germany at the moment.
2: THW Kiel
Current Bundesliga standing: 1
Kiel’s record is flawless: six matches, six wins, and a league table that already has them sitting on top. They’ve won in every way possible – hammering Minden 33–25 with a complete team performance, and then edging Hamburg 27–25 in a tense battle that showed they can grind out victories when it matters. It’s the kind of versatility you expect from a championship contender.
The main storyline so far has been Elias Ellefsen á Skipagøtu. The Faroese playmaker has looked like Kiel’s best player this season, scoring 11 against Hamburg and finally being used in a way that maximizes his creativity. Filip Jícha seems to have found the right balance in shaping the attack around his strengths, and the results are obvious. Add in steady goalkeeping from Andreas Wolff and contributions across the squad, and Kiel look balanced and dangerous.
So why aren’t they ranked number one? For me, it comes down to ceiling. Magdeburg look a touch more dominant right now – more goals, more fluidity, and perhaps a higher overall level in attack. Kiel are perfect on paper, but not quite as overwhelming in practice. Still, their ability to win both the easy games and the knife-edge clashes means they’re right where they need to be heading into October.
3: VfL Gummersbach
Current Bundesliga standing: 3
Gummersbach are the early-season dark horse. They stunned Füchse Berlin 34–29 with a breathtaking start – 11–3 after just 15 minutes – in what might already be one of the performances of the season. That came on the back of a 29–26 away win at Hannover in the opener, another match where they combined strong defending with quick, decisive finishing.
What makes this team so fun is how collective their success is. Of course, players like Julian Köster and Kay Smits are standouts, but the energy and effort is spread across the squad. Coach Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson deserves huge credit for creating a side where teamwork is the star.
The question is how far they can ride this momentum. Can they sustain it over an entire season and actually compete for a top-three spot? It’s still early, but the signs are there. For now, Gummersbach look like a team no one wants to face.
4: SG Flensburg-Handewitt
Current Bundesliga standing: 2
Photo: Jon Olav Nesvold / BILDBYRÅN.
Flensburg’s start has been solid, if not spectacular. They’ve picked up the results they need to stay near the top, but it hasn’t always looked smooth. Defensively, there are gaps to fix, with opponents finding too much joy from the backcourt. But offensively, there are positives. Marko Grgić, the young German star brought in from Eisenach, has settled in quickly, while Emil Jakobsen has been scoring freely from the wing.
The team’s experience means they can usually find a way through even when not at their best. Flensburg have long been known for raising their level in big matches, and with clashes against top rivals on the horizon, their ranking here is as much about potential as it is about current performance.
If their defense tightens up and the attack keeps flowing through Grgić and Jakobsen, they could easily climb higher in the next rankings. For now, fourth feels right: dangerous, talented, but not yet firing on all cylinders.
5: Füchse Berlin
Current Bundesliga standing: 6
Photo: Ludvig Thunman / BILDBYRÅN
Berlin entered the season with championship ambitions, but September has been a rollercoaster. The low point was the home defeat to Gummersbach, where they never found their rhythm and were overrun in the first half. Other matches have been steadier, but they’ve struggled to string together the dominant performances expected of them.
The coaching situation hasn’t helped. Parting ways with their title-winning coach so quickly was always a gamble, and Nicolaj Krickau’s tenure has been rocky so far. To his credit, he’s calmed things down a bit, but Berlin still look unsettled.
On the court, it has largely been the Mathias Gidsel show. The Danish right back continues to play at a world-class level, but he can’t do it all alone. Unless Berlin find more reliable secondary scoring and defensive stability, they’ll remain outside the true elite for now.
6: TBV Lemgo Lippe
Current Bundesliga standing: 5
Photo: Vegard Wivestad Grøtt / BILDBYRÅN
Lemgo have shown grit and resilience in the early going. Their opener, a 35–35 draw with Hamburg, summed them up perfectly: never out of a game, always capable of clawing back. They’ve already put together several impressive second-half comebacks, showing a mentality that makes them very difficult to put away.
Niels Versteijnen has been outstanding, stepping up as a true leader from the right back position. His scoring and presence have given Lemgo an edge they were missing last season. Around him, the team works hard and refuses to quit, and that collective effort is what’s keeping them in the top half.
Defensively, there’s room to improve, but the foundation is there. If they can tighten up at the back while keeping their never-say-die attitude, Lemgo could become a genuine top-six mainstay this season.
7: Rhein-Neckar Löwen
Current Bundesliga standing: 7
Löwen have had a mixed September. Their 31–28 win over Eisenach was one of their stronger performances, but elsewhere they’ve lacked consistency. At times, the attack flows and their big shooters step up; at others, they look hesitant and vulnerable.
There are positives, though. New arrivals Lukas Sandell, Edwin Aspenbäck, and Haukar Thrastarson bring fresh energy, and coach Maik Machulla seems intent on reshaping the team’s identity. Securing goalkeeper David Späth on a new contract is another massive win – he already looks like the present and future of German handball.
If Löwen can find rhythm and avoid the dips in concentration, they could quickly climb these rankings. For now, seventh feels like a fair reflection of their up-and-down form.
8: HC Erlangen
Current Bundesliga standing: 8
Photo: Michael Erichsen / BILDBYRÅN
Erlangen have been one of the biggest surprises of the young season. Their 31–31 draw with Magdeburg didn’t just end the champions’ winning streak – it showed that Erlangen can go toe-to-toe with the very best. Add in their six points from the opening stretch, and this is a team exceeding expectations.
What stands out most is their balance. Viggo Kristjansson, brought in last season, is starting to deliver the kind of performances the club hoped for when signing him. He’s become a steady scorer and playmaker, while Marek Nissen looks sharp and has provided crucial goals. They’ve also shown resilience in tight games, often keeping their composure when opponents push late.
Of course, Erlangen are not yet at the level of the elite clubs – depth and consistency are still question marks. But compared to recent years, where they’ve hovered around the lower mid-table, this start is impressive. If they keep combining grit with efficient scoring, they could establish themselves as one of the Bundesliga’s toughest outs this season.
9: Hamburg Handball
Current Bundesliga standing: 11
Photo (archive): Petter Arvidson / BILDBYRÅN.
Hamburg are a hard team to pin down. They’ve looked dangerous at times, like in their narrow 27–25 loss to Kiel, and their wild 35–35 opener against Lemgo showed both their attacking potential and defensive weaknesses. But inconsistency remains their biggest obstacle.
The Danish influence in this squad is massive. In their 33–30 win against Löwen, Danish players scored 27 of the team’s 33 goals, underlining just how much they rely on that core. Nicolaj Jørgensen, Frederik Bo Andersen, Jacob Lassen, Andreas Magaard, and Casper Mortensen are all central to their attack, and when they click, Hamburg can beat anyone.
The question is whether they can sustain it. Too often, lapses in defense undo their attacking work. If they can fix that, Hamburg could quickly rise into the top half.
10: MT Melsungen
Current Bundesliga standing: 10
For a squad with so much talent, Melsungen’s start has been disappointing. The injuries to Nebojša Simić and other key players are a massive handicap, but even so, they’ve looked flat too often. Their 32–32 draw with Erlangen, secured in dramatic fashion, showed glimpses of what they can be, but those moments have been rare.
The concern is that Melsungen are falling into a familiar pattern: plenty of quality on paper, but not enough consistency in practice. Without their first-choice goalkeeper, their defense has looked porous, and their attack hasn’t fully compensated.
There’s still time to turn things around, but for now they remain one of the underachievers of September.
11: TVB Stuttgart
Current Bundesliga standing: 13
Photo: Petter Arvidson / BILDBYRÅN
Stuttgart have fought hard in most games, but the results haven’t always followed. They’ve lacked the spark to really separate themselves from opponents, which leaves them stuck in the lower mid-table.
The bright spot has been Kai Häfner. He’s been outstanding, scoring double digits against Hamburg and Göppingen, and putting up big numbers in almost every match. His form has been one of the best individual storylines of September, but it hasn’t always translated into wins.
If Stuttgart can find more balance around Häfner and turn close games into victories, they could rise quickly. Right now, though, they look too dependent on one man.
12: ThSV Eisenach
Current Bundesliga standing: 15
Eisenach are showing plenty of fight, but not quite enough quality. Their 28–31 loss to Löwen is a good example: they kept it close for long stretches but lacked the firepower to finish the job. Defensively they’re competitive, but the attack is where they fall short.
Losing Marko Grgić to Flensburg was always going to hurt, and it shows. Without him, they lack a focal point. The hope is that players like Max Beneke or Moritz Ende can step into that role, but that’s easier said than done.
Until someone takes charge in attack, Eisenach will remain competitive but ultimately on the wrong side of results.
13: TSV Hannover-Burgdorf
Current Bundesliga standing: 14
Photo: Ludvig Thunman / BILDBYRÅN.
Hannover’s season so far has been a disappointment. The home opener against Gummersbach, a 26–29 defeat, set the tone, and the subsequent six-goal loss at home to Erlangen was another low point. For a team that impressed last year, the drop-off is glaring.
The issue seems to be both confidence and execution. They show energy in short bursts, but when opponents raise the tempo, Hannover fade. Their attack isn’t clicking, and defensively they’ve been too easy to break down.
Unless things change quickly, this could turn into a long, frustrating season.
14: HSG Wetzlar
Current Bundesliga standing: 9
Wetzlar are tricky to evaluate. On one hand, they’ve picked up some strong results, like their away win at Leipzig and their home victory against Minden. On the other, they’ve failed to produce a signature performance that suggests they can rise higher.
Individually, Philipp Ahouansou has been the standout. He’s looked fitter and sharper than ever, scoring heavily and causing problems for every defense he faces. With him in this form, Wetzlar always have a chance.
But as a team, they need to find more consistency. Right now, they sit in the middle: not in trouble, but not threatening the top either.
15: Frisch auf Göppingen
Current Bundesliga standing: 12
Göppingen’s September has been full of drama. Nearly every game has gone to the wire, but too often they’ve failed to come away with the win. Their 28–28 draw with Minden, narrow victory over Erlangen, and last-second equalizers against Leipzig and Stuttgart show just how thin the margins have been.
The problem is consistency, particularly in goalkeeping and finishing. In the draw against Leipzig, for instance, they managed only three saves all game – yet still salvaged a point. That kind of reliance on last-second heroics isn’t sustainable.
To their credit, Göppingen are tough to beat, but until they learn how to finish games off, they’ll stay stuck near the bottom half.
16: GWD Minden
Current Bundesliga standing: 16
Minden’s season began with some hope after their 28–28 draw with Göppingen and a 30–23 win over Bergischer. Malte Semisch made 16 saves in that victory, while Mats Korte and Ian Weber both scored eight goals. For a moment, it looked like Minden might surprise a few teams.
Since then, the losses have piled up, and by big margins. Their defense hasn’t held up against stronger opponents, and their attack hasn’t found another gear. The result is a team that looks well short of Bundesliga standard right now.
If they don’t find consistency quickly, they’ll be fighting relegation all season.
17: SC DHFK Leipzig
Current Bundesliga standing: 17
Photo: Bildbyrån
What has happened to Leipzig? Just a couple of years ago they were pushing for European spots. Now, six games into the season, they haven’t managed a single win. It’s a shocking decline.
Blær Hinriksson has been a rare bright spot, and with goalkeepers like Domenico Ebner and Tomas Mrkva, this team shouldn’t be conceding as much as they are. But the cohesion and confidence that once defined them is gone.
Unless something drastic changes, Leipzig look like a team heading straight into a relegation battle.
18: Bergischer HC
Current Bundesliga standing: 18
Bergischer sit at the bottom after a rough September. The 30–23 loss to Minden was particularly painful, highlighting both their defensive issues and lack of offensive punch. Too often, they’ve played well for 30 minutes before collapsing in the second half.
The squad works hard, and there are moments where they look competitive, but the lack of depth and experience is clear. Right now, they simply don’t have the tools to compete across 60 minutes.
It’s early, but unless things change quickly, Bergischer could find themselves cut adrift at the bottom.