Halle-Neustadt W (Ger) vs Zwickau W (Ger)

The Wildcats, under new head coach Pether Krautmeyer, entered the Nelken-Cup as one of four Bundesliga sides contesting the pre-season tournament hosted by reigning German champions HSG Blomberg-Lippe. After a physically demanding period that included the SUN Handball Cup in Neckarsulm and several preparatory friendlies, Halle-Neustadt faced a Zwickau side also fine-tuning for the upcoming league campaign.

While no detailed live play-by-play was published for this friendly, the 31-22 scoreline — a nine-goal margin — points to a controlled and increasingly dominant performance from the Wildcats. Halle-Neustadt built a first-half lead and stretched it further after the break, demonstrating the attacking fluency and defensive solidity Krautmeyer has prioritised since taking charge.

Zwickau, who also compete in the top flight of German women's handball, struggled to contain the Wildcats' momentum as the match progressed, with Halle-Neustadt pulling clear in the second period.

Halle-Neustadt's ability to create separation in the second half proved decisive. Coming through a tournament format that demanded high intensity across multiple matches in a short window, the Wildcats' depth and fitness — honed during a pre-season that included a training camp in Bad Blankenburg and competitive minutes against the likes of ATH Strasbourg and Sport-Union Neckarsulm — allowed them to maintain their level while Zwickau's resistance faltered.

Exact individual scoring data for this friendly was not published by the clubs, but the collective output of 31 goals reflected a well-distributed attacking effort. The Wildcats' goalkeeping unit also played a significant role, with multiple saves helping to keep Zwickau to 22 goals — the lowest total any opponent managed against Halle-Neustadt across their pre-season schedule to that point.

The Wildcats' pressing defence, a hallmark of Krautmeyer's early work, forced Zwickau into rushed decisions and limited their ability to establish rhythm in the attacking half.

The 31-22 scoreline represents Halle-Neustadt's most emphatic pre-season result of August 2026. In their prior warm-up fixtures, the Wildcats had lost narrowly to German champions HSG Blomberg-Lippe (27-29), fallen 15-16 to French side ATH Strasbourg, beaten Sport-Union Neckarsulm 23-22, lost 20-23 to HSG Bensheim/Auerbach, and fallen 20-21 to Neckarsulm again — all tight contests. The nine-goal margin against a fellow Bundesliga opponent in Zwickau marked a clear step up in performance.

The victory sent Halle-Neustadt into the Nelken-Cup final on 15 August, where they faced tournament hosts and reigning Bundesliga champions HSG Blomberg-Lippe. Blomberg had earlier beaten Buxtehuder SV 32-27 in the other semi-final before dispatching the Wildcats 29-20 in the final to retain the title.

Zwickau went on to contest the third-place match against Buxtehuder SV on the same day.

For Halle-Neustadt, the tournament served as essential preparation ahead of their competitive season opener: a DHB-Pokal first-round tie away to Frankfurter HC on 21 August, followed by their Bundesliga home opener against TuS Metzingen on 30 August.

Zwickau face their own first-round DHB-Pokal fixture before the Bundesliga campaign gets under way in late August.

A commanding pre-season performance from Halle-Neustadt against a direct Bundesliga rival, confirming that Krautmeyer's tactical framework is taking shape. The Wildcats' 31-goal haul and defensive solidity represent genuine positives — but the 29-20 defeat to Blomberg in the final the following day showed there is still ground to make up on the champions.