Newcomer BBM Bietigheim in the derby: Exciting fight against Göppingen!

Newcomer BBM Bietigheim in the derby: Exciting fight against Göppingen!

There is hardly anything more exciting in handball than a local derby, and the anticipation is palpable among the players and fans of SG BBM Bietigheim. On Friday at 8 p.m. they will face FRISCH ON in the 2nd Handball Bundesliga! Göppingen, a game that many in the region have been eagerly awaiting for a long time. This encounter is awaited with great enthusiasm not only by the players themselves, but above all by the fan base.

“Every game is important for us and we approach the game as if it were a normal game,” explains Paco Barthe, the Bietigheim captain. Nevertheless, he cannot hide how much he is looking forward to this special competition: "It's always nice to play in Göppingen. Our fans support us loudly and I expect a great atmosphere." More than 150 supporters of the Blue Reds fan club will follow the team to the EWS Arena, where the Göppingen team has sold over 4,000 tickets. For Barthe, it is a clear advantage to play in such a full hall, as the atmosphere brings even more energy to the field.

Return to old places of work

Several SG BBM players could feel particularly addressed in this game because they previously played for Göppingen. Left winger Till Hermann is only at the beginning of the season from FRISCH UP! moved to Bietigheim, while goalkeeper Daniel Rebmann was part of the Göppingen Bundesliga squad for six years until 2023. Maximilian Hejny also comes from Göppingen's youth team and will bring additional motivation when he plays against his former colleagues.

On the other hand, the team from FRISCH UP! Göppingen changed fundamentally. After a disappointing season in which they finished in 15th place, there was a significant upheaval in the team - seven newcomers are on the list of players who have left the club. The coach has also changed: Benjamin Matschke, formerly at HSG Wetzlar, is now on the bench and has the goal of stabilizing the team as quickly as possible. However, the start of the season has been challenging for Göppingen so far; There have been no wins in the first six games. The last home game against VfL Gummersbach ended in a draw and the players had to make do without two key players, which didn't make the situation any easier.

“We are anything but satisfied with how things have gone so far,” says Matschke. “We finally want our first win of the season and will do everything we can to achieve it!” Despite the difficult circumstances, Matschke gives his team self-confidence: “We are competing in Göppingen – we are strong enough to win.” Nevertheless, the team will still have to do without Oskar Sunnefeldt, who cannot play due to a suspension. Backcourt player Josip Sarac is also unavailable for action after a knee injury, which poses further challenges to the line-up.

SG BBM Bietigheim, on the other hand, has shown a lot of potential in terms of team performance in the last few games, but cannot get over narrow defeats. The last encounter, for example, ended with a bitter 23:28 defeat against TBV Lemgo, in which the team appeared fighting, but not on equal terms. “We know that in the last few encounters we have often only missed small things to get the points,” says Barthe, looking optimistically at the upcoming derby. Players are determined to make the best of every situation and get the counters they desperately need into their own account.

The encounter between SG BBM Bietigheim and FRISCH UP! Göppingen promises to be an exciting spectacle. Fans are warmly invited to support their teams and experience the atmosphere of a true handball classic. And who knows, maybe Bietigheim can celebrate their first derby win of the season and get the points that are so important for staying in the league. An event that no one should miss in order to experience the exciting duel between the neighboring clubs up close.