Huttenberg saw off Hanau 31:23 in a club friendly match on Saturday afternoon at the start of August. The hosts controlled proceedings from the opening period, building a lead that Hanau could never quite close down. And here's the thing — the scoreline told the full story of a match where one side had the upper hand throughout.
The visitors arrived with recent results not in their favour. Their last outing was a 22:35 defeat to Dutenhofen on August fifth, a result that suggested questions over their defensive organisation. Huttenberg, meanwhile, had been involved in tighter contests recently — three of their last five matches decided by a single goal.
By then, the pattern was clear. Huttenberg camped in the final third for large spells, while Hanau struggled to string together sustained periods of possession. The hosts punished them from set pieces, converting opportunities that Hanau simply could not match in attack.
The visitors had nothing to play for in this fixture, but that does not excuse the manner of their defeat. They were second to everything in the opening exchanges and never really found a rhythm. To be fair, the opposition were sharp in transition, something Hanau had not shown against Dutenhofen.
The final tally of 31:23 reflects a comfortable victory rather than a narrow escape. Huttenberg now had the chance to build momentum ahead of their competitive campaign, while Hanau face a rebuilding phase after a difficult start to preparations.