Handball Bundesliga team Füchse Berlin showed no weakness after the exhausting trip to the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia and won its third game in the group phase of the European League two days after the final defeat against SC Magdeburg. The defending champions won the home game against Dinamo Bucharest on Tuesday evening 33:30 (16:11).
The three other German teams also maintained their impeccable records. The Rhein-Neckar Lions won 36:35 (19:15) in a dramatic game at Benfica Lisbon in the last seconds. SG Flensburg-Handewitt won a thrilling duel against Norwegian runner-up Elverum 33:32 (13:13), and TSV Hannover-Burgdorf ultimately prevailed confidently against AEK Athens 31:25 (12:14) after start-up problems.
U21 world champion Tim Freihöfer had a great day at Bundesliga leaders Berlin and scored ten goals for the Foxes. The outstanding player for the Lions in Lisbon was Danish world champion Niclas Kirkelökke, who scored the last of his 14 goals at the final siren to win.
In Elverum, both teams exchanged blows on equal terms, in which Flensburg’s Kay Smits was the decisive player. The Dutchman scored three of his five goals in the last six minutes, including the final score of 33:32. The SG’s best thrower was Lasse Möller with seven goals.
Hannover took a decisive lead in the second half from 20:20 (43rd) to 24:20 (46th). Youngster Justus Fischer (20) scored seven times for the Bundesliga eighth team.