Krefeld vs Hagen

Hagen came out with clear purpose from the first whistle. The 2. Bundesliga side carved open the Krefeld defence repeatedly in the opening 15 minutes, establishing a multi-goal lead that the hosts never looked capable of reeling in.

The defining passage of the first half came just before the break. Between the 42nd and 43rd minute, Hagen's Frederik Puls scored three goals in quick succession — stretching the lead to 18:11 — and effectively killing any Krefeld momentum. By half-time, Hagen held a commanding 20:11 advantage.

Pouya Norouzinezhad, Jan von Boenigk and Benedikt Israel also found the net consistently in the first period, while Josip Jukic and Juan de la Peña chipped in from the backcourt.

The second half was a different story. Krefeld, coached by Mark Schmetz, emerged with renewed intensity and matched Hagen goal-for-goal through long stretches. Lukas Siegler led the home fightback with a flurry of late goals, supported by Lars Jagieniak (who scored twice in the closing minutes) and Matija Mircic. Jörn Persson and Maciej Papina (from the penalty spot) also contributed.

But Hagen always had an answer. Benedikt Israel, Philip Jungemann, Dustin Kraus and Lars Genz all found the target after the break, ensuring the gap never shrank below six goals in the second half. Krefeld shaded the second period 18:15, but the damage from the first 30 minutes was irreversible.

The match was effectively decided in a devastating 10-minute spell midway through the first half. Frederik Puls' three goals inside 90 seconds — three finishes from the left wing — stretched the advantage from 15:11 to 18:11. Krefeld's hopes of going into the break within striking distance evaporated, and Hagen never looked back.

Frederik Puls (Hagen) — The young winger's three-goal burst just before half-time was the defining individual moment of the match. He finished as one of Hagen's top scorers and was a constant threat from the wing.

Pouya Norouzinezhad (Hagen) — The Iranian backcourt veteran controlled the tempo in the first half and scored crucial goals that built the early lead. His experience against a physical Krefeld defence was invaluable.

Lukas Siegler (Krefeld) — The Krefeld playmaker was the home side's most dangerous attacking weapon, scoring multiple goals in the second-half rally. He refused to let his side fade quietly.

Benedikt Israel (Hagen) — The young wing scored several goals including one at 17:29 and another at 15:26, consistently finding space in the Krefeld defence.

Player of the match: Frederik Puls (Hagen) — his three-goal sequence before half-time broke the game open.

The half-time scoreline of 20:11 tells the real story. Hagen scored nearly two goals for every one from Krefeld in the opening 30 minutes, building a lead that proved insurmountable. The second half was far more balanced at 15:14 in goals in Hagen's favour (18:15 to Krefeld when only counting the second period), suggesting Krefeld adjusted at the break but the deficit was simply too large.

Hagen have now won all four competitive meetings with Krefeld since 2021 (in 2. Bundesliga, 3. Liga and now DHB Pokal) — a perfect head-to-head record. The total goal aggregate across those four meetings is 131:114.

Hagen advance to the DHB Pokal second round (Round of 16), where they will face a Bundesliga opponent. For Krefeld, the third-division side can take encouragement from a competitive second-half display but will now turn their full attention to the 3. Liga season.

The result keeps Hagen's momentum rolling after they finished 5th in the 2. Bundesliga last season (45:23 points). Krefeld, who pushed Hagen to 33:36 in the league last October, will rue their slow start which ultimately decided the tie.

Next up for Hagen is the start of the new 2. Bundesliga season, while Krefeld prepare for their 3. Liga campaign.

This was a game of two distinct halves: a first half where Hagen's class told emphatically, and a second where Krefeld showed they belong on the same court but couldn't overcome the early damage. Hagen's cup journey continues with minimal fuss; Krefeld have positives to take into the league season.