Pure excitement: THW Kiel wins 30:28 against Montpellier – Wolff injured!

Pure excitement: THW Kiel wins 30:28 against Montpellier – Wolff injured!

On October 14, 2025, THW Kiel played against Montpellier HB in the first matchday of the Handball European League. After the first defeat of the season in the northern derby against SG Flensburg-Handewitt, the team under coach Filip Jicha showed a strong performance in the Sud de France Arena. With an early lead of 2:7 and a halftime score of 9:16, the Kiel team set impressive accents, led by goalkeeper Andreas Wolff, who recorded seven saves and a success rate of 43 percent until his injury. But the game took an unwanted turn when Wolff fell to the ground after a save in the 26th minute and had to be replaced by Leon Nowottny.

Although Kiel clearly dominated in the first half, Montpellier caused excitement after the break. Duvnjak initially increased the lead to 9:17, but shortly afterwards a 6-0 run by the hosts tore away Kiel's 12:20 lead in the 47th minute and reduced the gap to 18:20. After a brief lack of spectators, in which the overall atmosphere of the game swung in favor of the hosts, Kiel held its nerve. With a strong performance from Nowottny, who secured the goal after Wolff was substituted due to injury, they were able to pull back to 20:26. Kylian Villeminot brought Montpellier up to 26:27, but THW finally secured the narrow victory with 30:28. The final score reflects the exciting atmosphere that both players and spectators experienced during the game.

The impact of Wolff's injury

Despite the success, Andreas Wolff's injury remains an issue that worries the Kiel team. The goalkeeper was injured while trying to defend in the first half, which presented his team with a massive challenge. Leon Nowottny took over his task and also made two decisive saves. Such injuries are not uncommon in handball. This makes it all the more important to protect players with suitable sports equipment. Experts recommend special indoor handball shoes whose soles have a grip and offer protection against injuries, as well as wearing mouth guards to avoid dental injuries and elbow protection for additional impact protection.

Preventing injuries is crucial to safety in handball. In a sport that requires rapid movements and frequent physical contact, statistically speaking, over 16 percent of all injuries occur to the head. If concussions are suspected, a medical evaluation is necessary to avoid serious consequences. THW Kiel will now focus on the upcoming games, including the clash against Ostravia Ostrow on October 18th and the Bundesliga game against MT Melsungen on October 16th, while hoping that Wolff's recovery will be quick.

The exciting game in Montpellier once again showed what is at stake in the sport of handball - not just victory, but also the health of the players. The attention now turns to the next match day, while the Thuringian handball community and fans in Kiel keep their fingers crossed for each other.

For further information on the details surrounding injury prevention in handball, we recommend Safety.Sport. The match reports can also be found on Handball-World. NDR shares current information and developments.