SC Magdeburg beats Montpellier in Champions League
Defending champions SC Magdeburg took advantage of Veszprém's home defeat against Barcelona. The Magdeburg team won 28:24 (14:11) against French runners-up Montpellier HB in front of 5,000 spectators on Thursday evening and are now level on points with Veszprém in third place in the Group B table. Magdeburg's best scorer was Janus Dadi Smarason with eight goals.
Even without the injured Philipp Weber, Michael Damgaard and Gisli Kristjansson, SCM got off to a good start, with Felix Claar filling the vacant position at left back. Nevertheless, the visitors had more of a grip in defense and so built up a narrow lead in a game that was initially low-scoring. Magdeburg only took the lead for the first time after more than a quarter of an hour (5:4/17). However, the SCM then missed the best opportunities to put the visitors back in front. However, a 5:1 run towards the end of the half gave Magdeburg a surprisingly clear lead at half-time.
The visitors had to step up their game after the break, but Magdeburg initially extended its lead (16:11/35). The SCM had to continue to work hard against the French club's defense and was not able to open up a gap for a long time. However, it now worked better in defense and goalkeeper Nikola Portner also improved. Nevertheless, the visitors reduced the deficit to two goals with two minutes remaining (26:24). Magdeburg's Smarason finally decided the game with his eighth goal to make it 27:24 (59').
SC Magdeburg's Handball team showcased their resilience once again, triumphing over Montpellier HB with a scoreline of 28:24. The Magdeburg-based team, renowned for their Handball prowess, delivered an impressive performance in front of their home crowd on Thursday evening.
Source: www.dpa.com
