Team Sports: Thrilling Matches in Handball - German handball pair absent in top league
Title defenders SC Magdeburg have abandoned their quest for a historic quadruple, while THW Kiel's aspirations for a fifth triumph in the King's Cup have been dashed. The German handball duo will compete for the consolation prize at the Final Four tournament in Cologne this Sunday (3 p.m.).
The German champions and cupholders from Magdeburg failed to advance to the final after losing 26:28 (11:11) to the Danish champions Aalborg HB in a thrilling semi-final. Later, Kiel succumbed to the Spanish league champions FC Barcelona, 18:30 (9:15).
"We couldn't reach the level we normally play at"
"It's been an outstanding season for us. But we couldn't reach the level of handball we usually play at. We just didn't have it today," said SCM coach Bennet Wiegert on the loss against Aalborg.
The players were similarly dejected after the nail-biting match without a happy ending. "I'm greatly disappointed and upset that we didn't show better here. They played exceptionally well because they have some of the finest decision-makers in the game," stated Magdeburg circle defender Magnus Saugstrup.
His teammate Gisli Kristjansson concurred, "We were looking to achieve more this weekend, but we lacked the momentum needed in this game." On the top scorers' list for Magdeburgers, who also won the Club World Championship this season, was Icelandic forward Omar Ingi Magnusson, tallying ten goals.
Magdeburg's inaugural King's Cup clash with Aalborg primarily witnessed the former's offensive prowess being shackled by the host nation's resolute defense. The Wiegert-coached team found it difficult to initiate their speed-driven handball game.
Subsequently, the advantage swung in favor of the Danes, with the star players Mikkel Hansen and Niklas Landin spearheading the offense.
Despondent Kiel
The matchup between THW Kiel and Barcelona was one-sided in favor of the King's Cup record holder. Coach Filip Jicha's team had just concluded their Bundesliga season in fourth place, and they got off to a sluggish start. They were trailing Barcelona, the team that had eliminated them in the 2020 final, by 1:4 within the first few minutes.
Kiel rallied to score four goals in a row, regaining the lead for the first time. However, this proved to be only a brief moment of triumph, as they squandered numerous opportunities. The North Germans missed numerous shots on goal, haunted by the impressive performance of Barcelona's goalkeeper Emil Nielsen.
As a result, a four-goal deficit loomed at 1:5, and this impending doom cast a shadow over the game. Despite Jicha's team reviving their game in the second half, they incurred a heavy defeat.
