The handball duels at the start of the main round in the European League could also be the pairings at the Final Four: On Tuesday, SG Flensburg-Handewitt will be guest at VfL Gummersbach and the THW Kiel at MT Melsungen.
Even if there are still twelve clubs from other European leagues, it is actually possible that only clubs from Germany are represented at the final tournament in Hamburg at the final tournament in the final. The first match day on Tuesday with the duels at 6.45 p.m. (Flensburg) and 8.45 p.m. (Kiel) could be a foretaste of what is still coming.
Flensburg is still open with Gummersbach
The tickets for the quarter -finals are first played out in four groups of four. For the SG Flensburg -Handewitt, the preliminary round with six wins from six games was a relaxed opening – which they also owe a “souvenir” of four points. The reason: The two clear victories against the preliminary round second of Tatabanya are taken away. “This is not a bad basis, but the Hungarians are probably only the favorite in fourth place, because Gummersbach and Toulouse are to be assessed more,” said SG circuit runner Lukas Jörgensen about the opponents in the main round.
Flensburg is the defending champion and, after 32:26 on Sunday at HC Erlangen, does not even return to the far north. It went straight to the Upperberg to survive at the traditional club in the best line -up. In October it was only a 29:29 in the Bundesliga. Spicy: In the Gummersbacher squad with Kentin Mahé, Teitur Einarsson and Lukas Blohme, there are three former Flensburger. Media reports also link the SG left-handed Kay Smits to VfL.
In the play -offs there is a threat of a duel Flensburg – Kiel
The Flensburg has never been in Toulouse. A week before the southern France tip visit, Toulouse will be guest in “Hell Nord” next Tuesday. Serbian trainer Danjiel Andelkovic accumulates three compatriots and other internationally experienced players. The SG has planned a home win, Jörgensen confirms: “We want to become a group leader in order to collect directly to the quarter -finals.”
The second and the third, on the other hand, have to put up with the detour of a play-off round and in this case would be dealing with a team of the main round season 3, in which the THW Kiel is also dealing.
THW starts with the most difficult task
The “zebras” have something different than the state rival. They already have four points in the account – from the encounters with HC Vojvodina. However, the MT Melsungen, which has won twice against FC Porto, also comes to the same yield. So the direct duel on Tuesday in Kassel is already a guide to the group victory. “Then we would automatically have home rights in the important second leg of the quarter-finals,” says THW coach Filip Jicha no doubt about the objective.
However, Melsungen is more strong than ever, is currently a sovereign Bundesliga leader and won 26:21 in Kiel in September. In the past few days, the North Hesse also raised their squad with the Swedish back area player Jonathan Svensson and the young Spanish left wing Marti Soler. At THW, the back area is considered a bottleneck, since Domagoj Duvnjak (Wade) and Nikola Bilek (thighs) will be missing and left -handed Harald Reinkind is not yet fully integrated after a long injury break. With the 31:25 success against Magdeburg, however, the Kielers have just set a big exclamation mark.
THW coach Jicha: “Two really hard chunks”
The first of two home games in the main round of the European League will play against FC Porto next Tuesday. The Swedish trainer size Magnus Andersson has some players in the squad who caused a sensation with Portugal at World Cup. In addition, there are internationally experienced forces such as the World Cup participant Thorsteinn Gunnarsson (Iceland). In November 2019 – at that time still in the Champions League – Porto guested in Kiel for the last time and even took both points.
“With melsungen and also postage, really hard chunks come up to us, which will challenge us extremely,” Jicha is convinced. In the Schleswig-Holstein state capital, as in Flensburg, the audience reacts more with restraint to the additional home games outside the Bundesliga duration card. With small group and group tickets, the THW wants to increase the auditor’s pretense in order to have as many fans as possible on its side for the important games.
This topic in the program:
Sport Current | 11.02.2025 | 7:17 p.m.
