The ThSV Eisenach handball team came within a hair of pulling off an upset on the fifth matchday of the Bundesliga. Coach Sebastian Hinze’s team suffered a narrow 27–28 (14–14) loss to THW Kiel in front of their home crowd. In front of 2,850 spectators, Felix Aellen was once again the top scorer for the Thuringians with six goals; they now stand at 3:7 points. Kiel took the lead in the standings with its fifth win in five games. The Eisenach team started the match with a lot of energy and, thanks to consistent defensive play, prevented the record champions from finding their offensive rhythm. Although the hosts’ finishing left something to be desired at first, they took the lead for the first time with a 4-0 run to make it 11-10 (25th minute). Even after the break, Eisenach maintained a high level of intensity and pulled ahead to 20–17 (41st minute). Subsequently, however, the hosts’ energy began to wane. Their error rate on offense rose, and gaps in their defense grew wider. With five minutes remaining, Kiel took a 26–24 lead. The Eisenach players, however, fought passionately and tied the score once more at 27–27. With 31 seconds left, Emil Madsen countered to make it 28–27 for Kiel. The hosts had no answer to that goal. Felix Aellen’s final shot was stopped by THW goalkeeper Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas. Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
