Great morale: Füchse Berlin reach the final of the Super Globe
The handball team Füchse Berlin have surprisingly reached the final of the IHF Super Globe in Saudi Arabia. The Berliners won the first semi-final against the favorites FC Barcelona after overtime with 35:34 (16:16, 29:29) thanks to great morale.
They will now meet the winner of the match between Barlinek Industria Kielce and defending champions SC Magdeburg in the final on Sunday. Berlin's best scorers were Mathias Gidsel with ten goals and Hans Lindberg with eight.
Right from the start, the game between the Bundesliga leaders and the eleven-time Champions League winners was evenly poised. The Berliners repeatedly managed to play quick attacks. The Foxes were able to open up a slight gap for the first time midway through the first half at 12:8. However, two time penalties threw coach Jaron Siewert's team off its stride somewhat. Barcelona responded with a 4:0 run.
Nils Lichtlein scores the winner
The Foxes also missed too many top-class chances. This did not change at the start of the second half. As a result, Barcelona not only took the lead for the first time right after the break, but also extended it to 20:17.
However, the Foxes fought back and tied the scores at 29:29 with 70 seconds remaining. Lasse Ludwig even saved a controversial seven-meter penalty with six seconds remaining. Extra time also remained exciting. Nils Lichtlein scored the winner with 29 seconds remaining. The Spaniards' last shot was blocked.
The triumphant Füchse Berlin will face FC Barcelona once more in the IHF Super Globe final, aiming to avenge their semi-final loss. Nils Lichtlein, a key player for Berlin, scored the crucial goal in their previous encounter against Barcelona, securing their spot in the final.
Source: www.dpa.com
