AUDIO: SG captain Golla: “We need a perfect day” (1 min)
As of: December 16, 2025 1:52 p.m
Defending champion THW Kiel and SG Flensburg-Handewitt are still one step away from reaching the final four of the DHB Cup. However, the quarter-final tasks could hardly be more difficult for the two Schleswig-Holstein handball Bundesliga teams. Especially since the arch-rivals are also challenged away on Thursday.
While Kiel doesn’t have to start its journey to the faltering German champions Füchse Berlin in awe, Flensburg’s players are likely to have a huge dose of respect with them. Because their trip takes them from the fjord to the Elbe. There will be a duel between Champions League winners and Bundesliga leaders SC Magdeburg on Thursday evening (7:30 p.m.).
“Personally, I would have liked a different draw or a home game would have been nice,” said SG captain Johannes Golla to NDR with a view to the opponent. “But of course we will throw everything into it to keep the dream of Cologne alive,” said the cyclist.
It is clear to the national player that a lot has to come together against the “Gladiators” in order to make it to the semi-finals: “You need a perfect day and a not so good day from Magdeburg if something is to happen.”
Buric: “Playing against the best team in Europe”
The Schleswig-Holsteiners are meeting the SCM for the second time in a month, who only have one minus point in their account after 16 Bundesliga games. The first division match against the “premier class” champion was lost 31:35. And in front of a home crowd, the traditional club from Saxony-Anhalt is even stronger than abroad.
So it will take an exceptional performance from Flensburg to prevent them from being eliminated from the cup. “We are playing against the best team in Europe. We have to play at our level for 60 minutes if we want to win,” emphasized goalkeeper Benjamin Burić.
Can Flensburg stop Magdeburg’s top backcourt?
“Benko”, as the 35-year-old Bosnian is called, will be particularly important on Thursday evening in the Bördelandhalle against the outstanding Magdeburg backcourt around the exceptional Icelandic player Omar Ingi Magnusson.
A top performance from him and a lot of his own goals up front – and the surprise would perhaps be perfect. But maybe not. After all: The burden of favorites lies with the opponent, so captain Golla almost defiantly said: “If you want it that way, we have nothing to lose.” However, the cyclist then put things into perspective quite quickly: “Of course that doesn’t make the whole thing any easier.”
THW Kiel in Berlin: All good things come in threes
While the last Flensburg Cup triumph to date dates back to 2015, THW Kiel brought the cup to the Waterkant this year from its business trip to Cologne. Keeper Andreas Wolff played a decisive role in this. You can almost always rely on the national goalkeeper when the all-or-nothing games are on the program.
And so on Thursday (7 p.m.) in Berlin’s Max-Schmeling-Halle, many eyes will of course be on the 34-year-old, who doesn’t want to be left empty-handed again in the third meeting with the Füchse this season after the Supercup game (33:34 after a seven-meter throw) and the Bundesliga duel (29:32).
“We didn’t quite manage to knock the ball over twice. If we play a good game, we’ll make it on Thursday,” said the goalkeeper confidently.
Statistics speak clearly against the “zebras”
However, the statistics speak against the “Zebras”. Your most recent success on the Spree dates back to May 9, 2021. Filip Jicha was already in the THW coaching bench back then.
Numbers are fundamentally not irrelevant for the former world-class backcourt player. But there is no reason to be afraid given the current balance sheet. “We accept the challenge as it is. And that means an away game with the Füchse in Berlin,” said Jicha.
