Four days after the end of the DHB Cup, the German handball record champion THW Kiel came to a 32:29 (22:13) against Vive Kielce (Poland) in the Champions League on Thursday. The “Zebras” almost lost a ten-goal advantage.
When the final siren sounded, it was time to take a deep breath. And that after such a large lead at times. The course of the second half was hard to believe. Kiel was completely beside himself for ten minutes and made it to the finish. Due to the success against the current runners-up in Group B, against whom there was a 37:40 defeat in the first leg, third place is still within sight.
Then it would be up against the sixth-placed Group A team, currently called RK Zagreb. However, there are still three more matchdays in the group phase until the beginning of March. Four days after the bitter DHB Cup defeat against Magdeburg in Hamburg, coach Filip Jicha’s team performed well against last season’s Champions League finalists, who were threatened with bankruptcy, suddenly faltered completely and then celebrated at the end but.
THW Kiel immediately in the game
“My players are professionals and therefore mentally strong,” Jicha said before the first real home game of the new year. His boys quickly provided the confirmation. The “Zebras” looked fresh and extremely eager to show a reaction to the defeat in Hamburg. After six minutes, right winger Yannick Fraatz defeated former THW goalkeeper Andreas Wolff to make it 6:2.
Tomas Mrkva stood between the posts at his former club. The experienced Czech did a good job and immediately became a support. And the number one of the North Germans, the Danish world champion Niklas Landin, did his part to maintain the lead by fending off a seven-metre throw in his first action.
Three minutes before the end of the first half, Kiel forced the visitors to change goalkeepers: After the 19:13 for THW, Wolff had to sit on the substitutes’ bench. Mateusz Kornecki came in for him. Kiel put in a very strong performance in the first round and went into the dressing room with a whopping 22:13 lead.
Kiel was completely off the roll for ten minutes
Four minutes after the restart it was even a ten-goal lead (24:14). But after that it was suddenly cut off: Kielce managed a 6:0 run, and so the THW was only 24:20 ahead (44th). Mrkva even made sure it didn’t get any worse. Nevertheless, the lead continued to shrink, from 26:23 (48th) to 27:25 (49th).
THW Kiel – Vive Kielce 32:29 (22:13)
Goals THW Kiel: Ekberg 8/2, Dahmke 5, Reinkind 4, Pekeler 3, Wiencek 3, Fraatz 2, Johansson 2, Sagosen 2, M. Landin 1/1, Weinhold 1, Zarabec 1
Goals Kielce: Nahi 6, Moryto 5/1, Sicko 5, Karacic 4/1, Tournat 4/1, Karalek 3, D. Dujshebaev 2
penalty minutes: 8/2
In the closing stages, Kiel, where top scorer Niclas Ekberg (eight goals) apparently suffered a serious injury, found their way back on track with routine and support from the crowd. It was primarily thanks to Mrkva’s saves that the North Germans managed to win at home.
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NDR 2 Sports | 09.02.2023 | 11:03 p.m
