The handball players from THW Kiel are going to the final tournament of the Champions League. In a highly exciting duel, the Bundesliga side triumphed over the top team from Paris Saint-Germain. SG Flensburg-Handewitt fails against another big-name club.
THW Kiel has booked the ticket to the final tournament of the Handball Champions League, SG Flensburg-Handewitt only has the role of spectator after being eliminated in the quarter-finals. While the “Zebras” celebrated a narrow but deserved 33:32 (17:19) home win over Paris Saint-Germain after 30:30 in the first leg, Flensburg also lost the second game against the defending champion after 29:33 in their own arena Barcelona FC. In the end, Barça scored 27:24 at the Palau Blaugrana.
“We believed in making the impossible possible,” said Flensburg coach Maik Machulla after the final whistle. And SG keeper Kevin Möller added: “We showed our hearts and faces.” Even before the kick-off there was more bad news for the already battered SG. Left winger Emil Jakobsen had to stay at the team hotel because of a flu infection. This was joined by throwing bad luck in the initial phase.
In the second half of the game, the North Germans stayed on par with the Catalans. However, the strength waned as the game progressed, and the four-goal defeat from the first game proved too great a burden for the Machulla team.
The guest from France got off to a very good start in Kiel. Only after the change of sides did the tide turn: Magnus Landin scored 19:19 (34th), Sander Sagosen provided the first THW lead of the game with 21:20 (37th). Since goalkeeper Niklas Landin found his way into the game better and better, the momentum tipped over to Kiel. But the THW was only sure after the final Landin parade against Luc Steins. The equalizer at 33:33 would have secured the top French team progress due to the more away goals scored – and meant a bitter bankruptcy for the German record champions.
Nevertheless, there was also a drop of bitterness for the North Germans: Circle player and defense specialist Hendrik Pekeler was eliminated in the first half with a suspected Achilles tendon injury. On Sunday (2 p.m. / Sky) the THW and THW will then go to the 106th Schleswig-Holstein derby in the Flensburg Arena.
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