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Balingen decimated, Melsungen shaken up mentally

Melsungen are coming after a defeat in one of the most important games and it is possible they will lose their spot in Europe next season. Balingen have mathematically avoided relegation

MT Melsungen

With Minden's defeat in Kiel, Balingen have mathematically secured their stay in the league, the defeat at Lowen had no consequences, and, after the drama and scandals last Summer (HSV situation), they will welcome this one more calmly and they can properly prepare for what's ahead of them in the Fall. 

They went to play against Lowen practically without half of their team, backs Nyokas, Strobel, Konig and Ilitsch were absent, wings Tubic and Wilke, pivot Theuerkauf, and goalkeeper Ristanovic as well. They somehow kept up for 25 minutes (14-12), but the last five minutes were awful and Lowen went on the break with 20-13. 

- Our performance was good, we brought more life into the game than in the previous ones against Melsungen and Wetzlar - said coach Gaugisch, aware that they couldn't play better against Lowen with such team, even though Gensheimer and his teammates weren't very motivated. 

Balingen played the finish of the game with their younger players like Dozic, Patrick Weber, Hausmann, Frietsch, Foth and lefthanded returnee Polydore.

They have two games left in the season, at home against Melsungen and Fuchse in which they will definitely look better than in their latest defeats. They are a strong home team and everyone in the league knows that. 

- I want to see in every player that he understands the importance of the Bundesliga game and that he's fighting until the very end - the coach said ahead of the Melsungen game. 

- It depends on our daily form, injuries and our opponent whether or not we will earn points. Melsungen and Fuchse are the absolute top teams of the league, and everything needs to come together if we want to win. 

According to their official website, the roster situation will not be changing too much tonight. Only Martin Strobel can be expected, but it is still very doubtful. 

Melsungen celebrated here in three of the last four seasons, but they are now coming pretty shaken up. Home defeat against Goppingen might leave long-term consequences. That was a direct fight for the fifth position and a spot in Europe next year. However, they conceded 32 goals, and suffered a convincing defeat (32-27). They dropped down to the seventh position, behind Fuchse. With 4 points behind Goppingen, they practically don't have a chance to win the fifth spot. Their placement in the Europe now depends on the EHF's distribution of invites, the number of German teams in the Champions League, Kiel's result at the Koln Final Four, so on a lot of factors they can't influence. 

- We will do everything to achieve positive results in the remaining three games - said Per Sanstrom, their goalkeeper. 

He was also pretty bad against Goppingen, just like most of the team, especially the defense because Goppingen didn't have a left-handed player in the right back position (Lobedank got a red card, Nyokas injured). The key moment of the game was in the 52nd minute at 26-27. Sellin missed a penalty that would equalize them, and he shot it because Rnic, who scored all five of them, was on the bench because of the two-minute penalty. Goppingen then went to 31-26 and it was all over. 

- We felt a lot of pressure and we moved slowly, that's why the defensive middle block wasn't as good as it usually is, which Kraus and Kneule used with their outside shots - said disappointed coach Roth. 

- With all that, we didn't have the needed performances by our goalkeepers. 

By quality, they are well ahead of decimated Balingen, but their mental state calls for caution. The defeat was very painful, it was after all one of the most important games of the season. Melsungen often lost such games this season (lost by 16 in the Cup at Flensburg, lost in the EHF Cup at home against Skjern, Goppingen and Magdeburg...). 

Melsungen will play without their starting left wing Allendorf, which puts the Dutchman Boomhouwer in the fore, and leaves the defense without an option to play 5-1 because Allendorf plays the forward. 

- We will fight in the last three games the way we did so far and we don't want to miss the chance for the fifth position if it comes along - said Rnic.