Halle-Neustadt W vs Metzingen W

Halle-Neustadt actually struck first. Lea Gruber opened the scoring at 03:22 and Tina Wagenlader doubled the lead a minute later, giving the hosts a dream start. But Metzingen responded quickly — Gabriela Bitolo and Ida Petzold scored within 15 seconds of each other to level the score.

The teams traded goals through the first half, but Metzingen gradually took control. The visitors reached the break with a 15-13 advantage built on Bitolo's early work and consistent finishing from Petzold and Charlotte Cholevová, who scored five times before half-time.

The second half was a relentless exchange. Emma Hertha scored four times for Halle in a nine-minute spell from the 40th minute, dragging her team back into contention. Marie Polakova and Fabienne Büch (from the seven-metre line) kept the scoreboard ticking for the hosts. But every time Halle closed within one, Metzingen found an answer.

In a frantic final minute, Polakova scored for Halle at 59:48 and again at 59:59, but Metzingen's Johanna Farkas had replied instantly at 59:48 to keep the two-goal margin intact. The last play belonged to Polakova, but it was too late.

Metzingen's response to Halle's strongest push — between the 40th and 50th minutes — decided the match. Halle trimmed the deficit to one goal on multiple occasions, but Metzingen answered within 60 seconds each time. Charlotte Cholevová scored twice in a four-minute span (54th and 56th minutes) when the game was most finely poised, restoring Metzingen's breathing room and forcing Halle to chase again.

Emma Hertha (Halle-Neustadt) — Scored four goals in a nine-minute second-half burst, leading Halle's best period of the match.

Marie Polakova (Halle-Neustadt) — Clinical from distance, she scored seven goals including two in the final 12 seconds to make the final scoreline closer than the game felt.

Lea Gruber (Halle-Neustadt) — Opened the scoring and finished with a game-high eight goals, but could not find the equaliser when it mattered.

Charlotte Cholevová (Metzingen) — A constant threat, scoring seven goals including two crucial strikes in the 54th and 56th minutes that killed Halle's momentum.

Gabriela Bitolo (Metzingen) — Set the tone with three early goals as Metzingen recovered from Halle's fast start.

Player of the Match: Charlotte Cholevová (Metzingen)

With 62 combined goals, the 59.6 average from previous H2H meetings held firm. The half-time score of 15-13 to Metzingen reflected a pattern visible across all 12 meetings since 2018 — Halle have never led this fixture at any half-time break. Metzingen's four converted seven-metre throws (all by Fabienne Büch) underlined their effectiveness from the line, while Halle's inability to turn pressure into a sustained lead proved decisive.

Metzingen start the season with two points and sit joint-5th in the early standings with a +2 goal difference. Halle-Neustadt, despite a competitive performance, are 8th on zero points. The loss extends Halle's winless run against Metzingen to 12 matches dating back to 2018. Both sides face Matchday 2 fixtures on the weekend of 5-6 September 2026.

A familiar story in this fixture: Halle matched Metzingen for long stretches but could never get their noses in front. Metzingen's composure in the key moments — particularly Cholevová's double salvo mid-way through the second half — was the difference. The 32-30 scoreline flatters Halle slightly; Metzingen controlled the game's critical phases from the moment they weathered the early storm.