Füchse Berlin beat Magdeburg 40:35 in handball semifinal, reach Champions League final for second straight year
A year after losing the final to the same opponent, Füchse Berlin knocked out title holders SC Magdeburg with a 40:35 win in Cologne. The Berlin side now faces the winner of Aalborg vs Barcelona for the European crown.
Match overview
Füchse Berlin have reached the Champions League final for the second consecutive season after eliminating defending champions SC Magdeburg 40:35 (19:17) in the Final Four semifinal in Cologne. The German Cup winners took control early, building a three-goal cushion in the first half, and held off a Magdeburg comeback that levelled the score at 30:30 in the 50th minute. Berlin then pulled away decisively to set up a final appearance on Sunday evening.
The result avenges last year’s final, which Magdeburg won 32:26, and halts the rivals’ recent Bundesliga dominance over Berlin. Magdeburg, the record three-time winner, failed to defend its title and remains on three Champions League trophies.
Offensive firepower
World handballer Mathias Gidsel and Icelandic backcourt player Omar Ingi Magnusson each scored nine goals for the winners. Lasse Andersson and Tim Freihöfer contributed four first-half goals apiece as Berlin’s varied attacking game repeatedly found openings. Goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev, largely untested before the break, delivered key saves in the closing stages to preserve the lead.
We are moving the ball fantastically. We are showing that we are not just Mathias Gidsel.
- Mathias Gidsel (Berlin)
- 9
- Omar Ingi Magnusson (Berlin)
- 9
What they said
Both camps had expected a tight contest. Magdeburg coach Wiegert called the matchup a coin flip before the game, while Gidsel acknowledged the challenge after three straight losses to the same opponent this season.
We lost the last three games against Magdeburg, it’s an extremely difficult task, but I’m really looking forward to it.
This is a coin flip, it’s fifty-fifty.
Crowd and atmosphere
The encounter was played in front of 20,122 fans at the Lanxess Arena, which hosted the Final Four weekend. An elaborate opening ceremony preceded a high-paced first half that saw Berlin take a 19:17 lead into the break.
Final outlook
Berlin will face the winner of the second semifinal between record winners FC Barcelona and Aalborg HB, led by German playmaker Juri Knorr. The final is scheduled for Sunday (6 p.m.) in Cologne. A victory would give Füchse Berlin their first Champions League trophy in club history.
