The final day of the Women’s World Cup saw four Borussia players go head-to-head in the fifth-place play-off, though only the German representatives featured on the court. The DHB team got off to a poor start and ultimately succumbed to a 30-26 defeat at the hands of the Netherlands.

As had been the case in the quarter-final against Sweden too, the German team needed a long period to find their feet in the game. It was not until the 13th minute that former BVB captain Alina Grijseels scored the first goal for the DHB team via a seven-metre throw. The game was therefore more or less sewn up by the interval, with the Netherlands holding a clear 16-7 lead by the time the half-time whistle sounded.

After the restart, Borussia player Sarah Wachter got her chance and made the most of it. She made an impressive 11 saves in only 30 minutes and saved 35% of the opposition’s attempts. Lisa Antl put in a shift in the pivot position and scored one goal. However, she could not prevent the 30-26 defeat either. Nonetheless, sixth position is the best placement at a World Cup since 2007. Tess Lieder did not play for the Netherlands, while Zoë Sprengers missed out through injury.

Carmen Campos and Spain finished 13th in the final World Cup rankings, while Haruno Sasaki and Japan ended the tournament in 17th position. The six BVB players now have a few days to rest, but there will not be much breathing space: the clash with double winners SG BBM Bietigheim at the Helmut-Körnig-Halle is coming up on 27 December. Tickets for the top match can be purchased via the Ticket Shop.