BSV SACHSEN ZWICKAU has secured a meaningful victory, ensuring their continued presence in the frist division of the German Women’s Handball Bundesliga.

In the third leg of the 2024/25 Season Women’s Handle Bundesliga Playdown, Zwickau triumphed over Leverkusen (TSV bayer 04 Leverkusen) with a score of 24-20. The match took place on the 24th at the Stadthalle Zwickau, Germany.

With this win, Zwickau successfully defended their first division status, concluding the series with 2 wins and 1 loss. This followed their initial 27-18 victory and a subsequent 25-26 defeat.

Conversely, Leverkusen faces relegation to the second division for the first time in the club’s history. This outcome is particularly surprising, given Leverkusen’s long-standing tradition, with over 1,100 games played and more than 650 wins.

Key Performances

During the match, Kaho Nakayama led Zwickau’s scoring efforts with eight goals, while Blanka Kajdon contributed six goals. Goalkeeper Barbara Viktoria Gyori made 11 crucial saves.

for Leverkusen, Johanna andresen scored ten goals, and Pia Terflot added three. Goalkeeper Lieke Anna Van Der Linden made eight saves, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win.

“Today’s game was very fierce, but it was possible to make more scores in the middle of the second half, but it was a pity.”

Leverkusen faced significant challenges in this game. Key players Annika Ingen Pas and Rose Marrain Alderden were absent, and the team’s A-Youth team was competing in the German Championship in Dortmund simultaneously. Consequently, only eight players, including two goalkeepers, were available for the zwickau match.

Zwickau started strong, taking an early lead of 9-5, fueled by eager home support. Though, Leverkusen, led by John and Andresen, fought back to tie the game around the 28-minute mark. The first half concluded with Zwickau holding a narrow 12-11 lead.

In the second half, Leverkusen briefly took the lead at 13:12 and 14:13, but their limited player availability led to physical exhaustion. Zwickau regained control, leading 17-14 by the 39th minute. Leverkusen narrowed the gap to 22-20, but couldn’t sustain the momentum. Late goals from Blanca Kaidon sealed the 24-20 victory for Zwickau.

Coach’s Reaction

Norman Rentsch of Zwickau commented, “Today’s game was very fierce, but it was possible to make more scores in the middle of the second half, but it was a pity, but it was never easy to play in this decision, and the crowds and passionate support filled with this stadium have been a tremendous force for us, to fans to fans. Thank you very much.”