Four days after the embarrassing 30:40 league defeat in Flensburg, MT Melsungen set an exclamation mark in the European Cup against FC Porto. After a rather mediocre season, the North Hessians are even still in the Champions League.
That was exciting. MT Melsungen’s 28:23 win in the European Cup against FC Porto The fans were intoxicated, and the sensational performance of goalkeeper Nebojsa Simic was particularly remembered. In the middle of the second half, when Simic once again managed to get hold of two balls from Porto that seemed untenable in quick succession, chants of “Simo, Simo” rang through the hall. Simic saved an impressive 14 opponent throws in Melsunger’s victory in the quarter-final first leg of the European League.
Left winger David Mandic also played outstandingly with a total of eight goals. The 2,500 fans in the Rothenbach Hall in Kassel paid their respect to their team with a standing ovation.
Won 28:23. The result is impressive and puts Melsungen in a good starting position for the second leg in Portugal next Tuesday. If the North Hessians do well there too, they would – like last year – take part in the so-called Final Four, the final tournament of the best four teams in the European League in Hamburg. “That’s where we want to go,” said top goalkeeper Simic.
European Cup successes a pretty mediocre season
While things are going well in the European Cup, the performance in the Bundesliga is rather mediocre by Melsunger’s standards. The project of the past and coming years was actually to reduce the gap to the top clubs in the handball Bundesliga. This was achieved last season, when after the 29th matchday they were still tied on points with league leaders Füchse Berlin in second place and were playing for the German championship, even if they ended up “only” third.
But the gap to the top clubs in the league has increased again this season, as was not only shown by the 30:40 defeat in Flensburg. The MT is currently only in a disappointing seventh place in the table after the 29th matchday of this season. If it stayed that way until the end of the season, Melsungen would probably miss the European Cup again for the first time, because only the first six teams in the Bundesliga qualify through the league.
Champions League participation as icing on the cake?
But when it comes to Europe there is a loophole, a rather attractive one. Because MT Melsungen could start in the Champions League. Please what? Yes, actually. If the MT prevails in Porto and then wins the final tournament in Hamburg, then the future may be golden. But there are limitations.
As a European League winner, a starting place in the Champions League awaits. However, a Champions League victory for Magdeburg or Berlin would put a stop to North Hesse’s dreams of the premier class if this club did not end up in first or second place in the Bundesliga – that is what the reform of the Champions League says. If a foreign team wins the Champions League, everything would be fine.
If it sounds complicated, it is. The easier route to Europe would be for MT to reach at least sixth place in the league. Then take part in the Final Four tournament in Hamburg and the season would still be a real eye-catcher at the end of the MT.
