Bundesliga Women: Mannheim Lead, and Köln v Düsseldorf Is Sunday’s Game
Eight games into the women’s Bundesliga, one side has a grip on it. Mannheimer HC have 21 points, three clear of Rot-Weiss Köln, and they’ve done it while everyone else took points off each other.
The return round gives the chasers their shot, and Sunday’s game is the one that matters most.
Köln v Düsseldorf: second’s chasers meet
Rot-Weiss Köln are second on 18. Düsseldorfer HC are third on 17. They play each other in Köln on Sunday, and the winner walks away as Mannheim’s nearest challenger while the loser drops into the pack, where Bremer HC (15) and Berliner HC (14) are waiting.
Games like this are where this league’s title race actually moves. Mannheim will be watching it as closely as anyone.
Saturday: the leaders travel
Mannheimer HC themselves go to Münchner SC on Saturday. Munich have 8 points and home advantage, Mannheim have the best record in the league. It’s the kind of fixture leaders are supposed to win, and mostly do, but the return round’s first weekend has a habit of producing one strange result.
Confirmed fixtures:
- Sat 24 Oct — Münchner SC v Mannheimer HC
- Sun 25 Oct — Rot-Weiss Köln v Düsseldorfer HC
Table (all played 8): Mannheimer HC 21 pts · Rot-Weiss Köln 18 · Düsseldorfer HC 17 · Bremer HC 15 · Berliner HC 14 · Großflottbeker THGC 14 · Club an der Alster 12 · Harvestehuder THC 10 · Münchner SC 8 · UHC Hamburg 7 · DSD Düsseldorf 6 · TSV Mannheim 2.
Our take
Mannheim are favourites for the title on every measure right now, points, momentum, breathing room. But Köln v Düsseldorf on Sunday decides who gets to call themselves the challenger, and a home win for Köln keeps the gap at the top looking reachable. A Düsseldorf win, and Mannheim’s lead starts feeling like a procession. A lot rides on one Sunday game.
