Bregenz vs. Hard

Emotions are running high ahead of the Ländle derby

Tonight at prime time (8.20 p.m./live on ORF Sport+), Bregenz Handball welcomes its eternal rival from the neighborhood, HC Hard comes to the provincial capital in the eleventh round of the HLA Champions League.

"It's the biggest handball derby in Austria," says Bregenz Head Coach Marko Tanasković, who is hugely excited, "I can already feel the enthusiasm and will of my players. We want to beat Hard, we want to remain unbeaten at home for the whole season."

Bregenz coach Marko Tanaskovic is looking forward to the derby.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

It will be the 103rd derby between the two Ländle clubs. Bregenz have won 50 times so far, the Red Devils 30 times. 12 duels ended in draws. In the previous season, the two sides drew in Hard, with the visitors winning in Bregenz. Revenge is on the cards.

Only two points separate the two opponents in the table - Hard in third place, Bregenz in fourth. Today's visitors want to extend their narrow lead. After all, dominance in the Ländle is at stake. And the players also want to enjoy the inevitable great atmosphere in the arena. "The importance of this derby in the region and especially for the two clubs themselves is extremely high," says Nico Schnabl from Hard, "even as a player, it's naturally something very special to be able to play in games like this. The anticipation has been palpable since the start of the week. We're ready for the clash against Bregenz."

And the Red Devils also know what they need for their 41st victory. "The derby is full of emotion, we have to be 100% focused in attack and defense," says Karolis Antanavicius, while the Lithuanian legionnaire is also hoping for momentum from the stands. "The support of our fans in Bregenz is very important," he says.

Duel of the sharpshooters
The 103rd derby will also be a duel between the sharpshooters of the season so far. Markus Mahr from Bregenz led the scoring charts for a long time, but had to cede first place to Ante Tokic from Hard after the last round. The Devils' top scorer now has 74 goals after ten games, while Mahr has scored twice less with just 72.