Hammarby IF saw off Helsingborg 26:23 in the Handballsligan on Sunday, a result that keeps both sides well off the top of the table. The hosts had been winless in three games before this, while the visitors carried one defeat into the fixture. And here's the thing — the scoreline masks how closely the sides stayed together throughout.
Hammarby's recent run showed inconsistency. They beat Nekse 30:28, lost to IK Sävehof 24:30, and suffered a heavy defeat to Elverum 28:37 before this win. Helsingborg had mixed fortunes too, losing to HK Malmö 25:32 but drawing with Amo 32:32. Both teams had been struggling to find rhythm.
The match itself had moments of tension. Hammarby held every card in the middle period, building a small cushion that they refused to let slip. Helsingborg pressed high up the pitch looking for responses, but the hosts' defence stayed compact. By the final minutes, the visitors came for a cross they never reached, unable to close the gap.
We had backed the home side at 70 per cent confidence before kickoff, and the result vindicated that call. Hammarby's defensive structure had improved since their early-season losses, and they worked a short corner when it mattered most. Helsingborg's away form has been fragile — they lost three of their last five road games.
The standings shift slightly after this result. Hammarby move to 10th with 2 points from 3 games, while Helsingborg drop to 8th with 3 points. Neither side is causing alarm, but the gap between them remains narrow. The league is still wide open.
To be fair, this was not a dominant performance from either team. Both sides missed chances in the final third, and the scoreline could have gone either way. The result means Hammarby have momentum going into their next fixture, while Helsingborg will need to regroup quickly. Things came to a head when the visitors pushed for an equaliser with minutes remaining, but the hosts got over the line when it counted.
