Polo Go Top as the Bundesliga Serves Up a Derby Weekend: Köln Tonight, Alster v Polo Saturday
The Bundesliga table has a new leader, and the weekend hasn’t even started. Hamburger Polo Club’s 2-1 win at Mannheimer HC last Sunday put them top, with Rot-Weiss Köln climbing past Mannheim too. German hockey’s big three are all within touching distance, and now they start playing each other.
Tonight first. Rot-Weiss Köln host Uhlenhorst Mülheim at 19:30 CEST (10:30 pm PKT) in their last home game of the field season. Köln drew 3-3 at Krefeld last weekend and took the shoot-out bonus point; Mülheim edged DSD Düsseldorf 2-1. Köln need the win to keep the pressure on Polo. The atmosphere should be excellent.
Saturday is the main course. Club an der Alster against leaders Hamburger Polo Club at 14:30 CEST (5:30 pm PKT) is the standout: Alster beat TSV Mannheim 4-2 last weekend and get the league leaders at home. Elsewhere, Münchner SC host Mannheim, TSV Mannheim face Berliner HC, and DSD Düsseldorf take on Krefeld at 15:30.
Last weekend’s form lines are worth a glance. UHC Hamburg hammered Berliner HC 7-1 for a third straight win, and Harvestehuder THC put five past Münchner SC to consolidate eighth. Those two played the Hamburg derby last night; the result wasn’t published anywhere at the time of writing, so check the league’s channels for it.
Sunday belongs to the women. The Volvo ERB Topspiel is Rot-Weiss Köln against Düsseldorfer HC at 12:00 CEST (3:00 pm PKT), live on Dyn. Köln’s Sophie Prumbaum has four goals to Annika Schönhoff’s three for DHC. Friday night also has women’s games: UHC Hamburg v HTHC and Alster v Großflottbeker under the lights.
Our take
Alster against Polo is the game of the weekend, no contest. If Alster win, the top of the table concertinas and the title race is properly on. If Polo win away, they’re making a statement that this is their season. For our money, a draw, and Köln sneak closer tonight.
The weekend set-up: Friday night in Köln, and the Live Centre.
