The Foxes Berlin are for the first time in their club history in the final of the Champions League. They won their semi -final against Nantes confidently – despite an early red card.
Unimpressed by an early red card against superstar Mathias Gidsel, the Foxes Berlin stormed into the final of the Champions League for the first time with a strong appearance. The capital city club prevailed in the first semi-final at the final Four in Cologne against the French runner-up HBC Nantes with 34:24 (18:12) A week after the master premiere Now also to Europe’s handball crown.
In the final, the Berliners, in which Tim Freihofer was the best thrower with ten goals, will meet the winner of the subsequent duel between SC Magdeburg and defending champion FC Barcelona on Sunday (6 p.m.). World handball player Gidsel is then entitled to play again.
Title hunt part two
After the championship, it is before the Champions League: Füchse Berlin can make an outstanding handball season sensational at the weekend. The most difficult task: shake off the nerve-wracking Bundesliga final.more
Berlin top start, but then the Gidsel-Aus
Wurf efficiency, speed proposals, offensive position game – the foxes routinely brought their strengths from the start. In an incredibly intensive game, the new German champion led 5: 3 after eight minutes. Nantes sold expensive, played aggressive handball, but was little able to counter the individual quality of the Berliners.
But then the shock: Foxes star Mathias Gidsel saw the red card in the ninth minute. The Dane slipped unhappily when defending and so into the right wing of Nantes. The referee team saw the campaign as a rough foul game and sent Gidel off the field. A discussable decision – and the greatest possible low for the foxes, which had to replace the reigning world handball player.
Foxes player Mathias Gidsel sees the red card after only nine minutes (Photo: Imago / Wolf-Sportfoto)
Milosavljev and Andersson carry the foxes Half -time leadership
But the foxes kept the head up, continued to play their boots down and led after 15 minutes with 10: 6. Even in phases of the double outnumbered, they remained stable thanks to their players like Fabian Wiede.
The fact that the lead was not melted, but mainly because of goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev, who caught an outstanding day and made Nantes despair. After the Gidsel-Platz reference, his Danish compatriot Lasse Andersson became the most important Berlin attacker, whether as a baller, goal scorer or preparer. Thanks to a strong team performance and individual brilliant moments, the foxes deservedly went into the half -time break at 18:12.
Foxes leave no doubt about the final in the final
The comfortable half -time tour ensured a self -image for the foxes, which they were able to broadcast seamlessly into the second half. The capitals defended continuously, could continue to rely on Milosavljev and show off.
Andersson, Nils Lichtlein and Co. whirled with the self -confidence of a new master, Nantes hardly gave a chance. The French were forced by the score to take the risk offensive. However, this resulted in many Berlin pace advances that they used with clinical cleanliness. After 40 minutes, the brilliant foxes led with 23:15.
The way of the first foxes championship title is impressed
The Foxes Berlin are German handball champions. Not only the fact that it is the first Bundesliga title in the history of the club, but above all the emergence of the triumph makes it so special, commented on it Nikolaus Hillmann.more
In the end it becomes clear
Nantes was noted that the belief in a comeback was slowly disappearing. If a Gidsel failure cannot get the foxes disturbed, what then? So the move into the final at no time was seriously in danger. The team of coach Jaron Siewert never dropped the lead in the second round under six goals.
The team could prove not to be dependent on Gidsel. Players like Andersson or Freihöfer emerged from the shadow of the world handball player in this game, and at the end played into a real frenzy. The foxes moved into the final of the Champions League in an impressive way with an amazingly clear 34:24 win.
The game in the live ticker
Broadcast: RBB24 Inforadio, June 14, 2025, 3 p.m.
