Handball – Schwalb wants first victory

Handball Bundesliga team HC Erlangen is under pressure at home on Sunday (3 p.m.). Like their opponents Potsdam, the team of new coach Martin Schwalb is still without a point this season. Potsdam is second to last with three defeats and Erlangen is last. After all, the Middle Franconians showed a clear upward trend in the last two games. After taking the lead for a while, they were narrowly defeated by Füchse Berlin by 27:30 in the league. Even in the dramatic cup loss against Gummersbach (27:28), the team of long-time national player Schwalb, who had only taken up his position the day before, showed a strong performance on Wednesday.

Tim Gömmel was Erlangen’s best thrower against Gummersbach with eight goals, but the 19-year-old left-hander missed the decisive seven-meter penalty to reach extra time. Erlangen’s goalkeeper Khalifa Ghedbane and newcomer Marek Nissen also impressed in the second round of the DHB Cup, but could not prevent the team from being eliminated. The first league win against Potsdam on Sunday now seems all the more important for Erlangen.