Bietrigheim pulls off a stunning surprise in the Champions League.
For the first time ever, a German handball team has advanced to the finals of the Women's Champions League: SG BB;M Bietigheim shocks the top-ranked team from Metz and now aims for the big victory. However, they face their most challenging rival.
The handball players from SG BBM Bietigheim made it to the Champions League finals for the first time in history yesterday in Budapest. The team led by Jakob Vestergaard defeated the French club Metz Handball in the semi-finals with a score of 36:29 (14:15). Key players in the victory were goalkeeper Gabriela Moreschi with her 17 saves and captain Xenia Smits who scored nine goals while giving a fantastic defensive performance.
In the final match on Sunday (6 p.m.), SG BGM Bietigheim will encounter their toughest opponent, Audi ETO Györ from Hungary. Györ won the first semi-final against Team Esbjerg from Denmark with a score of 24:23. The Budapest tournament marks the first time a German team has made it into the final rounds and is also the first German to reach the semi-finals since Walle Bremen in 1995.
Despite some early jitters in attack, Bietigheim managed to keep up with the favorites in the first half. The primary cause for this was Moreschi, who blocked eight shots before half-time, and the team's strong defense. At 4:0, they took a two-goal lead, extending to 22:18 (42nd minute), and the longer the game continued, the more Moreschi seemed to excel. The upset seemed so close at 27:22 (48th minute) and the game was decided at 32:26.
The qualification to make it to the final tournament was already an impressive accomplishment: SG BBM Bietigheim finished their group in the preliminary round at sixth place and had to go through the quarterfinals. There, they beat the Danish vice-champion Odense HB in two matches (30:26 and 30:32). The two games against Odense in the preliminary round had been lost by SG BGM Bietigheim, and the team was quite downhearted after their 29:42 loss.
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The triumphant victory of SG BBM Bietigheim in the Champions League semifinals against Metz Handball has secured their spot in the final, making them the first German team to reach the Champions League final in Handball's Women's division. To achieve this feat, they will square off against formidable opponents Audi ETO Györ in the final match on Sunday.
DHB's women's handball club, SG BGM Bietigheim, made history in the Champions League after clinching a spot in the finals by defeating Metz Handball, marking their first appearance in the final rounds of the prestigious tournament.
