Status: 04/24/2022 08:03 a.m
THW Kiel and SC Magdeburg have reached the final of the Final Four for the DHB Cup in Hamburg. The two Bundesliga clubs lived up to their role as favorites in the semi-finals.
However, THW Kiel had great difficulty asserting itself in the repeat of the previous year’s semi-final against TBV Lemgo Lippe. An outstanding keeper Niklas Landin and a concentrated performance in the final minutes ensured that the “Zebras” won 28:26 (12:12) and were able to take revenge for the bankruptcy in the previous cup competition.
“It was a difficult game. I’m just very, very happy that we stayed calm and played solidly in the end,” Kiel’s left winger Niclas Ekberg told NDR. His teammate Steffen Weinhold added: “Last year we played better but threw worse. The game was a bit nervous. We’re happy that we won.”
In the final on Sunday (1.15 p.m., live on the first and here in the live stream) the Schleswig-Holsteiners will have to improve in order to be able to hold their own against SC Magdeburg. The designated champion showed a convincing performance at 30:22 (17:13) against HC Erlangen. “It was a well-deserved victory, extremely confident,” said national coach Alfred Gislason about the SCM’s performance.
THW without ideas for a long time in the first section
Kiel found it difficult from the start early on Saturday afternoon in the multifunctional arena in the Volkspark. The attack of the THW lacked speed and ideas against the very mobile Lemgoer cover. The fact that coach Filip Jicha had already tried three players in the middle back position in Nikola Bilyk, Domagoj Duvnjak and Miha Zarabec after around 20 minutes testified to the record champion’s unimaginative performance.
The Schleswig-Holsteiners became dangerous in the first section primarily through the district or through individual actions by their exceptional player Sander Sagosen. Actions on the outside Magnus Landin and Ekberg? Practically nonexistent!
VIDEO: THW Kiel wins 28:26 against Lemgo Lippe (3 min)
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Lemgo just before the break with three goals in front
Lemgo, on the other hand, acted in a very focused and determined manner. Jonathan Carlsbogård always put his teammates in the limelight. And the completion rate of East Westphalia was initially better than that of THW, although the team of trainer Florian Kehrmann still had a few free throws. After 26 minutes, the defending champion still had a deserved 12:9 lead. Jicha took a break and began it with words that made it clear how much his handball players still had to nibble at the bankruptcy in the semifinals of the previous year: “We have to shake off our nervousness.” The coach then asked his protégés to “go courageously towards the goal”.
Jicha’s speech had the desired effect. With a 3-0 run, the “Zebras” equalized at 12:12 – the halftime score.
THW Kiel Network: Sagosen (8), Reinkind (5), Wiencek (5), Duvnjak (2), Ekberg (2), Zarabec (2), Pekeler (1), Dahmke (1), Weinhold (1), Jacobsen (1)
TBV Lemgo Lippe: Elisson (7/3), Suton (4), Zerbe (4), G. Guardiola (3), Cederholm (2), Simak (2), Hutecek (1), Carlsbogard (1), Schagen (1), Johannesson (1)
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Landin surpasses himself
Immediately after the change of sides, THW scored two more goals to lead by 14:12. However, the record cup winner could not break away. Lemgo – only ninth in the Bundesliga, 18 points behind second-placed Kiel – continued to play at a very high level. With a 24:23 lead and possession of the ball, the East Westphalians had the chance to put another goal under pressure from Kiel, who seemed increasingly nervous again. But the Kehrmann team lost the ball and Wiencek equalized in a counterattack (54′). Shortly thereafter, Harald Reinkind scored to make it 25:24, before keeper Landin defused what was actually a very good shot by Tim Suton.
When Ekberg then extended THW’s lead to two hits and the outstanding Landin saved with his 14th save against Frederik Simak, the “Zebras” were on the road to victory 180 seconds before the end of the season. Sander Sagosen finally made the preliminary decision with 28:25 (58 th ).
Magdeburg against Erlangen only at first with difficulty
In the second semi-final, Magdeburg also faced an opponent who was passionately fighting for his outsider chances. Up to 7:7 (11th), Erlangen, who had qualified for the Final Four for the first time, played on an equal footing with the Bundesliga leaders. The Franks then made too many mistakes, which the SCM punished with all its individual class.
In particular, the circles of the two Icelandic backcourt players Omar Ingi Magnusson and Gisli Kristjansson were not significantly disturbed by the HCE. Coach Bennet Wiegert’s team led for the first time with five goals after Kay Smits’ goal to make it 17:12 (25 th ) and had already laid the foundation for victory.
SCM sovereign even after halftime
Even after the change of sides, Erlangen was overwhelmed with the Magdeburg pace. After Kristjansson had increased the lead to 21:15 for the favorite (38th), HCE coach Raul Alonso tried to influence his players again with an emotional speech and some tactical changes during a break. But the Franks didn’t have much to add. When Simon Jeppsson, currently the top scorer in the Erlangen Bundesliga with 138 goals, failed in the 44th minute with a seven-meter shot by keeper Jannick Green, most of the outsider’s fans who traveled with him must have finally realized that the slogan stuck to their team’s dressing room: “Time to make history” will remain a wish.
Tore SC Magdeburg: Magnusson (6/3), Kristjansson (5), Mertens (4), O’Sullivan (3), Smits (3), Musche (2), Jensen (2), Weber (2), Damgaard (1), Gullerud (1), Hornke (1)
HC Erlangen: Jeppsson (6/2), Metzner (5), Fäth (3), Zechel (3), Sellin (2), Firnhaber (1), Steinert (1), Olsson (1)
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Soon after, the Magdeburg victory, which was befitting and actually never in danger, was certain. “I think we lacked a bit of experience today to deal with this situation – especially in the first half. We showed nerves of steel there,” said HCE coach Alonso.
His opponent Wiegert said with regard to the final against Kiel: “THW is a house number. He has another experience than we may have had in recent years. I’m looking forward to it anyway.”
