Kiel THW — Hamburg: 26:19, Bundesliga

THW Kiel beat Hamburg 26-19 in the Bundesliga on Sunday. The result keeps the hosts in second place while the visitors remain rooted to 16th. By then the gap between the two sides had become impossible to ignore.

Kiel sit on 15 points from nine games, with seven wins and only one defeat. Hamburg have collected just three points from eight matches, one win and six draws. The table tells you everything about where this game was heading.

Recent form adds context to the final score. Kiel drew 31-31 with Flensburg-Handewitt on 26 September and lost 26-32 to Magdeburg three days later. Hamburg lost 30-34 to Lemgo on 1 October and had won 31-30 against Elbflorenz on 22 September. Neither side came into this fixture in flow.

And here's the thing. The prediction before the match backed Hamburg to win at 52 per cent confidence. The result went the other way. Kiel's position in the table and their winning record against top-six opposition proved what the numbers already suggested.

Five points separate the two clubs now. Kiel's draw with Flensburg-Handewitt earlier this month meant they needed something from this fixture, and the margin of victory will make life awkward for Hamburg going forward.