betprepare.com

Kiel's 20-game winning streak put to ultimate test

Flensburg won last four out of seven head-to-head matches; in the first part of the season the took the lead in Kiel 15-13 at half time, but in the end lost 30-26. Vranjes is trying to find a way how to stay in the title race

Getty Images

The European champion is trying to save the season against the German champion and remain in the title race. Flensburg are at 27 points, Kiel at 32, but with one more match. If Vranjes's team would win tonight, they would gt very close to Kiel, and everything would again be possible. The Bundesliga would turn into a race for three (Lowen).

- Basically we're playing for two points, but of course this match is special and the fact the arena's been sold a long time ago is fortunate - said Holger Glandorf, home right back.

Glandorf and his team lost a point last week when they played 22-22 in Wetzlar. They were basically losing the whole match, being at -6 points from time to time. Offensively, it was their worst performance of the season.

Regarding home matches, they have only two defeats in the entire season. Only Lowen and Barcelona, the greatest of clubs, managed to beat them. The fact that they've beaten others with a fair difference (eg. going into the quarter-finals against Friesenheim with 19 point-difference) is not important for this match.

Flensburg are powerful home. They broke a lot of opponents with their defense and great transition. Kiel are one step above, although Kiel has four wins in the last seven head-to-head matches. The first league one was played in Kiel: Flensburg took the lead during half-time with 15-13, but in the end lost with 30-26. Kiel's numbers of 20 wins in a row seem frightening, but the game wasn't like that.

In case Flensburg manage to do their best, they will stand a chance. Vranjes is a better coach than Gislason, he can pull out a lot more out of his team.

The ones who carefully watched the Bunesliga matches know how many times Kiel was "hanging by a thread" in the aforementioned 20 matches. We just need to remember the match against Lubbecke. Gislason, and he's been doing that more often, complains of the referee's decisions after the matches, but he also admitted they didn't play well.

Jicha's return was thus overshadowed by the fiasco. Still, Gislason now has the back line with Duvnjak, Canellas, Palmarsson, Lauge, Jicha, Weinhold and Vujin. No one in the world has that and excuses, that the players are absent, won't matter anymore. The fact is that they've gotten through on account of individual qualities, just like the match against Lubbecke. But it won't pass here.

- When two teams with great offenses and defenses meet, then the goalkeeper will be the key role - said ex-Kiel's wing Martin Schmidt who won seven German championship titles with them.

There has been talk these days of Sjostrand's transfer to Melsungen. Also, it's better no to compare Sjostrand and Andersson because the advantage goes to Flensburg. In case Andersson is in his element and the defense in front of him manages to stop Duvnjak and his shots, they will have the advantage.

To sum up, this is going to be a clash of Vranjes's collective efforts and Kiel's individuals. You may not agree, but that's how things are.