Füchse Berlin, SG Flensburg-Handewitt and Frisch Auf Göppingen are on course for the quarter-finals of the European League. The trio from the Handball Bundesliga all won their round of 16 first leg in a foreign hall on Tuesday – Flensburg ignited fireworks for the defending champion.
Coach Maik Machulla’s team outclassed Benfica Lisbon 39:26 (21:10) and is almost certain to progress. The Berliners also have good chances after the 28:23 (14:11) at Danish club Skjern Handbold – just like Göppingen, who won 36:29 (17:13) at Valur Reykjavik. The second leg will take place next week.
With nine goals, right winger Robert Weber was the best thrower for the Berlin capital club, which also celebrated a successful dress rehearsal for the top game in the Handball Bundesliga at THW Kiel with the difficult away win. Table leader Berlin will compete with the record champions on Sunday (2 p.m. / Sky). In addition to goalkeeper Benjamin Buric, Flensburg also had the best SG shooter, Emil Jakobsen, with nine goals.
In recent years, the European League has mostly been dominated by German teams. Last year, however, Lisbon prevailed, it was only the fourth triumph of a non-German team in the second highest European competition in this millennium.