The Borussia Dortmund women's handball team wrested back top spot on Matchday 3 of the Bundesliga season. Only four days after their highly deserved 25-25 draw with Budapest-based FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria in the Champions League, coach Andre Fuhr's charges produced another sparkling display on the domestic scene. BVB ran out comfortable 34-26 (20-12) winners over bottom club BSV Sachsen Zwickau.

But there was a huge slice of bad luck for Mia Zschocke, who suffered such a nasty landing while scoring a goal in the 31st minute that she had to be carried off the court. "The games are coming thick and fast. We'll hardly be able to offset Mia's absence if she's out too," said a concerned André Fuhr.

The record after three rounds of Bundesliga matches is flawless: three games, three wins, back at the top of the table. That's the takeaway after making the trip to east of Germany, one which started on Wednesday morning and ended on Thursday morning after almost 1,200 kilometres on the motorway.

The game in Zwickau was decided relatively quickly. Though the promoted outfit, who are coached by former BVB coach Norman Rentsch, tried to hold their own at the outset and even levelled the scores at 5-5 in the 11th minute, BVB were firmly in control thereafter. The Dortmund ladies had played themselves into their flow, scoring some quick goals during their first wave and leading 11-6 after 20 minutes. "After 10-12 minutes, our defensive stability meant we were able to make the most of our strengths," said Fuhr of the performance.

Among the standout performers at this point was goalie Yara ten Holte, who took a ball right in the face from Zwickau's Anna Frankova from close range in the opening minutes. But by the time they had a two-player advantage at the latest (23), the game at a well-attended Sporthalle Neuplatz was all-but decided. BVB pulled into a 16-8 lead thanks to two further goals from right winger Amelie Berger, eventually leading 20-12 at the break. One of the best goals of the entire game was a hip throw from new BVB signing Fatos Kücükyildiz.

The big setback for the Black & Yellows came directly after the interval when Mia Zschocke scored to make it 21-13 and then thudded so awkwardly to the floor of the hall that she had to be carried off the court. If Zschocke is unable to play in Montenegro on Sunday, it would be a bitter blow for the BVB defence in particular.

Yet BVB still managed to extend their lead, kept the tempo high and led 26-18 by the 40th minute. André Fuhr took the opportunity to give everyone a breather ahead of a demanding Champions League weekend in Montenegro and changed the entire team. Zwickau did manage to narrow the deficit to six goals (46) – but with the intelligent Alina Grijseels pulling the strings and Dana Bleckmann's goals up front, the game was over as a contest by the 50th minute with the score 30-22. Four more goals followed from each side before the final whistle sounded with the score 34-26.

There won't be much time to rest, with the Dortmund ladies set to undergo two more training sessions before boarding the plane on Saturday morning. ZRK Budućnost Podgorica will be the opponents in Montenegro in their second Champions League game on Sunday (16:00 CET).

BVB: ten Holte, Kohorst; Grijseels (4), van der Heijden (3), Bleckmann (7), Rønning (2), Zschocke (2), Kücükyildiz (2), Moreno (3), Abdulla (1), Berger (8), Freriks (2), Sando