HSG Hanau vs Erlangen

Erlangen seized control from the opening minutes. By the time the first entries appeared on the handball-world.news ticker, the visitors had already established a multi-goal buffer. Hanau's Cedric Marquardt missed a seventh-minute penalty, and Erlangen converted that momentum into a steadily growing advantage. The halftime score of 19-12 told the story: Erlangen's backcourt trio of Maxsim Lochman, Tobias Buck and Frieder Bandlow carved through Hanau's defence at will.

The second half followed a similar pattern. Hanau briefly tightened the gap to 15-22 after the restart, but a 2-minute suspension against Hanau around the 47-minute mark allowed Erlangen to stretch the lead again. Lochman added goal after goal in the closing stages, and a late three-goal flurry from Scheerer, Buck and Lochman pushed the final margin to 37-26.

Erlangen's goalkeepers also played their part: Tin Herceg came on in the 45th minute and conceded only one goal before the final whistle, while Khalifa Ghedbane started and held Hanau to 12 in the first half.

Marquardt's missed penalty at 34:05, with Hanau already trailing 14-21, erased the hosts' best chance to cut the deficit to six. Erlangen goalkeeper Tin Herceg saved it, and Frieder Bandlow scored immediately after at the other end. The gap never dipped below double digits for the remainder of the match.

Maxsim Lochman (Erlangen) — The 18-year-old backcourt player scored repeatedly in the second half, registering goals at the 50th, 51st, 54th and 60th minutes, including the final goal of the match. His movement off the ball caused constant problems for Hanau's 6-0 defence.

Tobias Buck (Erlangen) — Contributed at least four goals from the backcourt, including two in quick succession around the 35-36 minute mark that snuffed out any Hanau revival. The 21-year-old was a reliable scoring outlet throughout.

David Rivic (Hanau) — The German pivot scored three of Hanau's goals in the second half, including a brace in the 56th and 57th minutes. He was Hanau's most consistent attacking threat.

Cedric Marquardt (Hanau) — Scored twice but his missed penalty at 34:05 was the defining 'what if' moment for the hosts. He provided positive energy on the wing but went 2/3 from the field.

Player of the Match: Maxsim Lochman (Erlangen)

The 19-12 halftime scoreline — a seven-goal lead — tells the decisive story: Erlangen's class told in the first 30 minutes, before Hanau's energy reserves depleted. The second half was essentially even (18-14 in Erlangen's favour), but by then the result was academic. Erlangen's shot conversion from the backcourt was ruthlessly efficient, with Lochman, Buck, Bandlow and Scheerer all scoring from range against a Hanau defence that struggled to close down shooting angles.

Per the official provider data, Erlangen's 37 goals came at a scoring rate consistent with 2. Bundesliga attacking efficiency, while Hanau's 26 reflected a respectable output from a 3. Liga side — but not nearly enough against a team two divisions above.

Erlangen advance to the second round of the revamped DHB Pokal, where the top Bundesliga sides — including SC Magdeburg, SG Flensburg-Handewitt and THW Kiel — join the competition. The draw for round two will determine whether Erlangen face a top-flight side or another lower-league opponent. The 2026/27 DHB Pokal Final4 takes place on 10-11 April 2027 in Cologne.

For HSG Hanau, attention returns to the 3. Liga season. The cup run is over, but scoring 26 goals against a side two divisions up offers encouragement for the league campaign.

Hanau's next competitive fixture will be in the 3. Liga, with details to be confirmed. Erlangen turn to the 2. Bundesliga season, where they will look to build on this dominant cup opening.

A straightforward, professional performance from Erlangen. They did what a higher-division side should do against a third-tier opponent: controlled the game from the first whistle, built an unassailable lead by halftime and closed it out without drama. Hanau competed admirably in patches but lacked the firepower and defensive organisation to trouble a team with 2. Bundesliga ambitions. The 11-goal margin was an accurate reflection of the gap in quality.