Rhein-Neckar Löwen put in a commanding display against Loiterhausen in a club friendly on Tuesday, running out 38-20 winners in what proved to be a one-sided affair from the opening minutes. The German sides met at the Loiterhausen venue under clear skies, though the result told a different story to the competitive spirit both teams normally bring to their fixtures.
By then, the visitors had already established a rhythm that Loiterhausen could not match. Rhein-Neckar Löwen played with confidence, moving the ball with purpose and taking their chances when opportunities arose. The hosts struggled to find any real foothold in the game, and to be fair, this was perhaps more about the gulf in class than any tactical error.
The visitors' recent form suggested they would be dangerous, having won three of their last five competitive matches before this fixture. Against Stuttgart they had produced a 32-26 victory, while their 30-22 win over MT Melsungen had shown they could control games against solid opposition. This friendly simply extended that pattern, with Rhein-Neckar Löwen not travelling to make up the numbers but rather to test their attacking options.
Loiterhausen, meanwhile, did not travel to make up the numbers either, but found themselves on the receiving end of a comprehensive performance. The hosts were left flat-footed for much of the contest, unable to respond to the visitors' intensity. And here's the thing — when teams meet at this level, the quality difference often shows up early, and today was no exception.
The final margin of eighteen goals reflected a game where one side dominated from start to finish. For Rhein-Neckar Löwen, this was a chance to see their new-look attack in action, and they came for a cross he never reached in terms of finding success against Loiterhausen's defence. The hosts were pinned back for large periods, unable to establish any meaningful attacking patterns.
The result means Rhein-Neckar Löwen can take something positive from their pre-season preparations, even if the opposition was not at their usual competitive level. They had been involved in several tight contests recently, with narrow defeats to Magdeburg and Gummersbach showing they could compete at the highest level. This friendly, while not indicative of their league standing, at least showed their attack could function cohesively.