After an impressive season, SC Magdeburg is the designated German handball championship. Only mathematically, the title is not yet sealed. This is due to THW Kiel, which postponed the title celebration for a few days with a wafer-thin victory in a true derby thriller.
The handball players of THW Kiel treated themselves to a beer or two after the 28:27 (13:12) in the dramatic 106th northern derby at SG Flensburg-Handewitt - at SC Magdeburg the long-frozen championship sparkling wine remained. Thanks to the success in a dramatic game in front of 6300 spectators, the record champions from Kiel maintained second place in the Bundesliga with 50:10 points and postponed the early crowning of the champions.
After the sovereign 32:22 (17:11) at HSV Hamburg, Magdeburg can now win the second title after 2001 on June 2nd in the home game against HBW Balingen-Weilstetten. A draw is enough for the club world champion, for whom Omar Ingi Magnusson scored twelve goals.
"Chapeau! The team did an excellent job despite all the influences that hit them mentally," praised Magdeburg's coach Bennet Wiegert on the Sky microphone. Pure joy reigned at the THW. "It feels very good. We're overjoyed. It's something special to win here," said Kiel's coach Filip Jicha about the victory in Flensburg and announced: "The boys will definitely get a beer on the way home and one on Monday free day."
Like the coach, his protégés were full of adrenaline long after the game. "Not many believed that we would get the points here. Against this backdrop it is extremely difficult. That's why we are even happier that we were able to win," said circle player Patrick Wiencek. And backcourt ace Sander Sagosen, the best thrower with ten goals, emphasized with a grin: "That was really fun."
The THW now has the best chance of being part of the Champions League in the coming season. Only Füchse Berlin (50:12), who won 31:25 at HC Erlangen, can still challenge Kiel for the necessary second place. Flensburg (46:14), on the other hand, has to say goodbye to the premier class for at least one season after twelve years.
In an emotional and passionate northern derby, both teams fought an open exchange of blows, in which the guests took the lead for the first time after just under fifteen minutes. However, the record champions, who qualified for the final tournament in the Champions League last Thursday, were never able to pull away by more than two goals.
In the middle of the second half, Flensburg made a 4:0 run from 18:20 to 22:20 - the Flens Arena was now a madhouse. The handball thriller was by no means decided. The THW, which has to cope with the month-long absence of its defensive chief Hendrik Pekeler (torn Achilles tendon), defended itself and kept its nerve in the dramatic final phase. "It was very emotional. I'm very proud that we won," said Jicha.
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