Kiel sees itself as an outsider, Barcelona don’t want to be favorites and the match between Kielce and Veszprem is open. The Final Four of the Champions League promises exciting duels.
It is the first time since the corona pandemic that the title in the premier class has been awarded in a full hall. The two semi-finals will take place on Saturday (06/18/2022), on Sunday the match for 3rd place and the final. The Final Four 2020 took place in front of empty ranks, in 2021 only 1,000 spectators were allowed into the arena, which holds almost 20,000. Kielce, Veszprem, Barcelona and Kiel are fighting for the title this year.
A full Cologne arena, a German team there – home advantage for THW Kiel? Not necessarily. In recent years, the participating foreign teams have brought many, and above all loud, fans with them. The supporters of in particular created a good atmosphere MKB Veszprem from Hungary and the Polish master Vive Kielce. One of the two fan groups will also ensure a good atmosphere at the final on Sunday: the two clubs will meet in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Veszprem vs. Kielce – duel at eye level
The match between Kielce and Veszprem in the first semi-final will be a repeat of the 2016 final when the Polish side beat favorites Hungary from a nine-goal deficit to celebrate their first and only Champions League title so far. Veszprem has already appeared in the premier class Final Four six times and reached the final three times. They didn’t win the title once.
The two teams met each other in the group stage and won their home games. “It’s difficult to say who’s ahead,” according to Veszprem’s Kentin Mahé. In addition, both teams come to Cologne with a similar amount or little tailwind: while Veszprem won the Hungarian Cup but then had to admit defeat for the championship in the season finale, Kielce was able to celebrate the championship but lost the final for the cup.
Goalkeeper in focus
Both teams have top players in their ranks. Only in the coaching position do opposites meet. While Momir Ilic is in charge of Veszprem in his first season as head coach, Talant Dujshebaev could claim his fifth Champions League title as a coach.
According to Mahé, however, the focus will be on the goalkeepers: “In handball, it’s no secret that the team with the better goalkeeping will win.” That’s how the German Andreas Wolff, who is in goal at Kielce, sees it too: “Both teams have teams of goalkeepers who have already proven themselves to be among the best.” For him it is the first Champions League final tournament: “It’s hard to imagine what’s to come. That’s why I’m obviously nervous, but also excited.”
Kiel against Barcelona – THW plagued by injuries
In the second semi-final, the roles are supposedly more clearly distributed. Against the record title holder and current Champions League winner FC Barcelona, THW Kiel is only the underdog. “We’re a bit of an outsider, which makes us even more unpredictable”says Kiel’s coach Filip Jicha, who won the Final Four both as a player and as a coach.
The Kielers are missing two key players due to injuries: defender Hendrik Pekeler and top star Sander Sagosen. For Pekeler, the 40-year-old Bjarte Myrhol was brought out of the handball pension, the loss of Sander Sagosen has to be absorbed by the width of the squad. Kiel have high hopes for goalkeeper Niklas Landin, who can decide games (almost) single-handedly on good days. “We will fight like pigs”according to Jicha.
Top scorer in Barcelona’s ranks
Barcelona are not only traveling to the final tournament in Cologne with a full squad, but also with a lot of momentum. The Catalans have already won five titles this season, including the Spanish championship and the Spanish cup. Should they also win the Champions League title, they would be the first team to defend the title in Cologne since the first edition of the Final Four tournament in 2010. “We’re gonna try to crash this party” so Jicha.
According to Patrick Wiencek, the key lies in a stable defence: “First we have to stop Barcelona’s attack. They have the best attack and, with Dika Mem, perhaps the best backcourt player in the Champions League.” Mem is also currently at the top of the top scorer list.
Nevertheless: FCB coach Carlos Ortega does not want to know anything about the role of favorites for his Catalans: “We’re not the favourites. All four teams are top. Kiel is a great team. Of course we want to win, but anything is possible.” Last happened in 2020, when Kiel beat the supposedly superior Catalans in the final.
Favorite roles in the Final Four worth nothing
The past has shown: roles as favorites are worth nothing this weekend in Cologne. The supposed outsiders in particular often crowned themselves the title holders. In 2013, HSV Hamburg surprisingly prevailed against Barcelona in the final. The following year, Flensburg won against favorite FC Barcelona and then against Kiel. And in 2019 Skopje won the Champions League, although the club had already lost a number of top performers after the patron left.
One more reason for Kiel’s coach Filip Jicha not to “bury his head in the sand”. The form of the day will decide and the mode allows players to go beyond their performance limit. “Let’s see what comes out of it”according to Jicha.