Magdeburg and Berlin in the German final at the Super Globe
Defending champions SC Magdeburg have reached the German final of the IHF Super Globe in Saudi Arabia. In the rematch of the Champions League final from June, the Magdeburg handball team beat Barlinek Industria Kielce 28:24 (15:14) in the second semi-final on Saturday. Prior to that, the Füchse Berlin had won 35:34 (16:16, 29:29) against the favorites FC Barcelona after overtime thanks to great morale. The final will be played on Sunday (18:15).
The best SCM scorer was Omar Ingi Magnusson with six goals. Magdeburg got off to the better start against Andreas Wolff and Co. and built up a two-goal lead, but failed to extend it. SCM briefly led by four goals thanks to saves by Nikola Portner - but Kielce immediately reduced the deficit to two goals again after Magdeburg's lack of concentration. At the end of an even half, Magdeburg went into the break with a one-goal lead.
Both teams showed concentrated defending and the game remained comparatively low-scoring - only five goals were scored in the first ten minutes after the break. Kielce took the lead for the first time (18:19 in the 42nd minute) and had made changes in defense. Magdeburg needed time to adapt and regained the lead (21:20/46). It was not until shortly before the end that SCM increased its lead to two goals (25:23/57) and ultimately won by a clear margin.
It was even closer for the Berliners. Nils Lichtlein scored the winner 29 seconds before the end of overtime. Berlin's best scorers were Mathias Gidsel with ten goals and Hans Lindberg with eight.
In the highly anticipated German final of the IHF Super Globe, SC Magdeburg will face Füchse Berlin. Despite a tough match against Kielce in the semi-finals, Magdeburg secured their place in the final with a victory, preparing for another challenge against their domestic rivals. Following their Champions League victory over Magdeburg earlier this year, Berlin overcame FC Barcelona in overtime, setting up an intriguing encounter between the two German powerhouses in handball's elite competition.
Source: www.dpa.com
