Handball · National
HB Ludwigsburg win Women's DHB Cup with 31–21 victory over Blomberg
Ludwigsburg established a 16–10 half-time lead and won the Stuttgart final by 10 goals, claiming the club's fourth German cup.
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A fourth cup for Ludwigsburg
HB Ludwigsburg won the Women's DHB Cup on 2 March with a 31–21 victory against HSG Blomberg-Lippe at Stuttgart's Porsche-Arena. Ludwigsburg led 16–10 at half-time and maintained a clear advantage through the second period. Captain Xenia Smits received the trophy from Handball Bundesliga Frauen chairman Andreas Thiel.
The success was the club's fourth German cup, following victories in 2021, 2022 and 2023 under the SG BBM Bietigheim name. Blomberg's silver medal came from a return to the Final4 event after an absence of 11 years. The two teams finished a weekend of semi-finals and medal matches with different outcomes, but both had reached the season's cup final.
Goalkeeping and an early lead
Blomberg scored first through Alexia Hauf and led 2–1 in the opening exchanges. The teams were level at 3–3 after eight minutes before Ludwigsburg began to create separation. A goal into the empty net by goalkeeper Johanna Bundsen and a fast-break finish by Mareike Thomaier helped move the score to 5–3.
Viola Leuchter extended the advantage to 7–4, and Antje Döll's scoring contributed as Ludwigsburg reached 10–5. The winning club's account credited Bundsen with eight first-half saves. Ludwigsburg's 16–10 interval lead therefore rested on both increased scoring after the early tie and the goalkeeper's success in limiting Blomberg's attacks.
The advantage survives the second half
Bundsen finished with 14 saves in roughly 42 minutes and was recognised as the tournament's best goalkeeper. Nicole Roth replaced her during the second half. Döll scored six goals and Leuchter five for Ludwigsburg, while Blomberg's own report listed Nieke Kühne and Laetitia Quist with five goals each.
Ludwigsburg did experience a period of about five minutes without a goal before Sofia Hvenfelt scored for 27–17 in the 50th minute. A later four-goal sequence helped reinforce the advantage, and Dorottya Faluvégi supplied the final goal with six seconds remaining. The 31–21 result left the same 10-goal separation that had been present at 27–17.
A demanding weekend and a record crowd
Ludwigsburg had reached the final through a 30–29 win over Borussia Dortmund less than 18 hours earlier. The narrower semi-final and the more decisive final produced the two victories required for the trophy. Blomberg's report acknowledged the stronger opponent in the final while documenting the club's return to this stage of the competition.
The arena operator reported more than 7,000 spectators across the weekend, including more than 3,000 on the Saturday. The final attracted 3,828, a record for the event. That attendance gave the title match an additional significance beyond the result: the Final4 concluded with its biggest final crowd as Ludwigsburg secured another cup and Blomberg received the runners-up medals. The venue report described the final's 31–21 result as a convincing success for Ludwigsburg. Its weekend attendance total covered the semi-final programme and the final day, with the title match itself setting the event's attendance record.
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