SG Flensburg-Handewitt came forward in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the European League and won 31:30 (17:14) at BM Granollers on Tuesday evening. In a week, the ticket for the Final Four can be bought in the home campus hall.
However, coach Maik Machulla’s team, in which Emil Jakobsen was the top scorer with nine goals, did not achieve what they had set out to do: namely to be able to conserve their energy a little in the second leg next Tuesday (8.45 p.m.). So the Flensburg have stressful days ahead: At the weekend the Final Four in the DHB Cup in Cologne is coming up – and after the renewed duel with the Catalans in the Bundesliga the state derby at THW Kiel.
Jakobsen in a throwing mood
The SG was quickly 2-0 down in Granollers and ran after that deficit for around ten minutes. But above all thanks to a good-humored Jakobsen, Flensburg turned the score into a three-goal lead (15th/11:8). The Dane contributed five goals.
But the nice lead was soon gone again, in the attacking game of the Bundesliga, the mistakes piled up. Granollers came back (17th/11:11) and Maik Machulla took a break: “Keep calm and concentrate on defending,” warned the SG coach. With success: the visitors were better defensively and, despite a few carelessly missed chances, were able to pull away to three goals again before the break.
SG far too careless
In the second round, however, the North Germans presented themselves carelessly and sloppy in passing, the home side equalized again (43./22:22). Although the SG took back the lead immediately, the team from Granollers, which was peppered with many youngsters, did not let the Flensburg veterans shake them off.
Granollers – SG Flensburg-Handewitt in shorthand:
Goals Granollers: Garcia Robledo 6/3, Salinas Munoz 6, Gurri Aregay 4, Yusuf 4, Torriani 2, Reguart Massana 3, Franco I Miro 2, Amigo Boada 1, Guijarro Moreno 1, Rey Morales 1
Goals Flensburg: Jakobsen 9, Mensing 6, Einarsson 3, Hansen 3, Röd 2, Golla 2, Hald 2, Mensah Larsen 2, Sögard 2
time penalties: – / 4
Viewers: 2,541
Five minutes before the end, Aaron Mensing scored to give the visitors their first four-goal lead (30:26). Now the hoped-for clear away win seemed to be slowly taking shape. But a time penalty for Simon Hald ruined the plan. In the end there was only a meager goal as Johan Hansen hit the crossbar and Antonio Garcia Robredo fired a free throw into the net on the other end.
