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Flensburg loses first playmaker

Skipper Schindler is back for Gummersbach, while Flensburg lost Morgensen, and Kaufmann and Lasse Svan Hansen are out already, but Karlson is expecter in the team after missing the game against Velenje

Gummersbach plays the straight home game, and Sport1 television and Arenasport viewers will have the opportunity to see how the new Schwalbe Arena into which Gummersbach moved in during the summer looks like.

For now, it did not bring them luck. They played many average games and scored only two wins against Emsdetten and Eisenach, newcomers to the league. The latter one was defeated 30-24 in the last match.

- It was a very dangerous game for us. Everyone expects a sure victory against the newcomers and that is dangerous. We had control from the start, and could have had a more convincing lead at the break. Eisenach was more dangerous in the second half and got close, but I'm proud of my team's reaction in such a situation - said coach Emir Kurtagić whose best player in the second match in a row was goalie Carsten Lichtlein.

He stopped Wetzlar in the previous rounds (20-20), and now once again had some great saves. He largely helped wingers to become best scorers in the game through fast breaks, Santos scored 9 and Von Gruchalla seven. Left back Borna Putics scored  6, but also had three expulsions. Hungarian was under a lot of pressure because he played most of the games at that position. From today, captain Christoph Schindler is back in the rotation, he is a center back, but can help on the left side. Right back Mark Bult is still out.

- I feel good, I trained with the team and I hope to help in the attack against Flensburg for at least a few minutes - said Gummersbach's captain.

- Flensburg was planning on points in Gummersbach, so they have much more to lose. We want have a good showing and create a surprise - announced Gummersbach coach on the club webpage.

Good defense and excellent Lichtlein will be the first prerequisite to make trouble for Flensburg, who on Saturday has to play a Champions League match in Spain against Logroño. Last week had trouble against Emsdetten, but at the weekend played better against Velenje in the Champions League.

- In comparison to the Emsdetten game, this was a completely different approach and body language - commented captain Tobias Karlsson who missed the game, but is expected in the lineup today, to take his place as chief of defense.

Some other Danes, however, will not play. Lasse Svan Hansen is out for some time now, and against Velenje, after one fast break, one of the most important players, Thomas Mogensen, was injured. He scored, but immediately grabbed his left leg thigh and did not return.

- It does not look good, now we'll see how we'll do against Gummersbach without him - was the reaction of coach Ljubo Vranjes.

There are not many options without Mogensen, actually only two. The first is to playing with two right backs, Glandorf and Weinhold, which means a left-hander at the center back, and the other is with young Swede Jim Gottfridsson. Vranjes first chose two lefties, they led 8-1 and 10-3, but Slovenians came alive and were at 15-13 at halftime. In the second half, Flensburg again built a lead, first 21-15, than 30-23, and victory was secured. Vranjes could introduce some young players he had on the bench, namely Blohme. Glandorf scored 6, and Andersson had 17 saves.

But today there will be problems. Gummersbach has significantly improved its defense since last season, and Flensburg without Mogensen, Hansen and Kaufmann, is just not the same team.

After the first left back Kaufmann who is not playing since the start of the season and the first right wing Hansen, Flensburg now lost the first middle back Mogensen. Even with him they were left under 30 goals in seven out of 9 matches of Bundesliga. They scored more against the offensively oriented Lemgo and defensively horrible Emsdetten. Today they are facing a team which raised their defense a lot compared to the last season. They brought the national team goalkeeper Lichtlein who played excellent in the last two rounds. Wetzlar and Eisenach are not Flensburg, but Gummersbach conceded 20 and 24 points against them which is respectable. Flensburg won't have it easy today either, even more so because they have to play with two right backs, Glandorf and Weinhold, on the middle back position. The defenses will be in the focus of attention this time.