After a handball thriller with a happy ending, THW Kiel followed SC Magdeburg into the cup semifinals. The record champion prevailed in a dramatic quarter-final against the Rhein-Neckar Löwen with 26:24 (12:13).
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Previously, Bundesliga table leader Magdeburg had won the ticket for the Final 4 tournament on 23/24 with an unchallenged 34:26 (18:11) victory against GWD Minden. solved in Hamburg in April. In a one-sided game, the Dutchman Kay Smits with nine goals and the Dane Michael Damgaard (8) in front of 2058 spectators were the best throwers for the clearly dominating host, who can continue to dream of a double.
It was much more exciting in front of 2,500 fans in Heidelberg, where Kiel had to do without top goalkeeper Niklas Landin and backcourt ace Harald Reinkind. The duo was absent due to positive corona tests. In the first competitive game, the lions held out until the end under their new coach Ljubomir Vranjes, who had once worked successfully at SG Flensburg-Handewitt for seven years. The best THW throwers were Norway’s superstar Sander Sagosen and Sweden’s European champion Niclas Ekberg, each with six goals.
On Saturday, HC Erlangen was the first team to reach the semifinals with a 29:27 (12:16) win at second division club VfL Gummersbach. The draw will be made next Tuesday. The fourth participant will be determined later between the cup defenders TBV Lemgo Lippe and MT Melsungen. The game had to be postponed indefinitely due to several corona cases in the Hessians. (dpa)
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