THW Kiel wins safely
Magdeburg loses spectacular Champions League start
September 15, 2023, 8:54 a.m
Telekom Veszprem is one of the hardest tasks you can face at the start of the Champions League – and it was too difficult for defending champion Magdeburg. On the other hand, THW Kiel, which has already been badly plucked in the Bundesliga, solves a compulsory task confidently.
Light and shadow for the German Champions League hopes at the start: While handball record champions THW Kiel started the group phase with a never-threatened 30:23 (16:9) against the Croatian champions RK PPD Zagreb, defending champions SC Magdeburg conceded two in the duel Co-favorites against Telekom Veszprem a 28:33 (18:21).
For Kiel, which is aiming for its fifth Champions League victory after 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2020 even without its departed stars Sander Sagosen and Niklas Landin, national player Patrick Wiencek was the top scorer with eight goals. Star right winger Niclas Ekberg saw the red card. “We came here to win the game,” said THW coach Filip Jicha about his team’s easy Champions League run, which had already fallen behind in the league with two defeats from the first five games. “And that’s why I’m very happy. In the second half I changed a few players and then there was a little break in our game.”
Kiel has caught a demanding group, other opponents include Paris Saint-Germain, last year’s finalist Industria Kielce with national goalkeeper Andreas Wolff and the Danish top club Aalborg Handbold with Niklas Landin and the former world handball player Mikkel Hansen as well as Kolstad IL with Sagosen.
Magdeburg fell behind in the early stages in their own hall and chased it until the end. Although the defending champions fought back to within a goal (21:22, 37th minute), a 4-0 spurt by the Hungarians quickly dashed any hopes of winning a point. Michael Damgaard became Magdeburg’s top scorer with six goals. Both German representatives have “very good chances” of reaching the Final Four in Cologne (June 8th/9th), said national coach Alfred Gislason before the premier class start.