Handball: Füchse and Magdeburg are in the Champions League final

SC Magdeburg can dream of a third triumph in handball 's premier league, following 2002 and 2023. The runners-up won the second semifinal at the Final Four in Cologne against record winners and defending champions FC Barcelona 31:30 (18:18) and will face Füchse Berlin in the German final on Sunday (6 p.m.). The capital club had previously defeated French representative HBC Nantes 34:24.

Nearly two weeks after his shoulder injury, Magdeburg's backcourt ace Gisli Kristjansson celebrated his comeback to the cheers of the SCM fans in a duel with the Spanish champions, in which three players received red cards during the dramatic match. Nevertheless, coach Bennet Wiegert's team was constantly trailing in the first half, which grew to four goals for the first time at 12:16 (23').

The Füchse Berlin are celebrating their first German championship title. The world's best handball player, the Dane Mathias Gidsel, played a major role in their success.

But just as in the semifinal two years ago, which Magdeburg had won against Barça on penalties, the match remained close. Shortly before halftime, SCM, whose Icelandic Omar Ingi Magnusson was the top scorer with eleven goals, equalized.

Even a three-goal deficit after the break didn't faze Magdeburg. With 14 minutes remaining, the German runners-up took the lead for the first time at 25:24. In the dramatic final phase, SCM had the better nerve and celebrated victory with a last-second goal from Tim Hornke.

Undeterred by an early red card against world handball player Mathias Gidsel, the Füchse Berlin also stormed into the Champions League final for the first time with a strong performance. The Füchse defeated French runners-up HBC Nantes 34:24 (18:12) and, one week after their first championship title, are now in contention for the European handball crown. Gidsel will then be eligible to play in the final. "Thanks to the boys. This team is incredible," said the world handball player, visibly relieved, after the final whistle. In front of an enthusiastic crowd of 20,000 fans, the Füchse got off to a good start and quickly took a three-goal lead (6:3). But then came the early shock: Gidsel was sent off with a red card after less than nine minutes. The 25-year-old world champion and Olympic gold medalist from Denmark slipped while attempting to defend and knocked down an opponent with a sliding tackle like in football .

The German champions remained cool despite the personnel setback and extended their lead to five goals for the first time at 11:6 (17th minute). Even being two men down, the Berlin side largely survived this period unscathed. Goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev played a major role in this, providing strong support and an outstanding player throughout the match with numerous saves. Veteran Fabian Wiede also proved to be a strong substitute for Gidsel.

Even without the Dane, the Füchse dominated the game and took a six-goal cushion into the half-time break thanks to the accuracy of Gidsel's compatriot Lasse Andersson, who scored a total of seven goals, and left winger Freihöfer.

After the break, the game remained unchallenged. Quite the opposite: The Füchse were always in control and even extended their lead to nine goals at 24:15. Coach Jaron Siewert's team remained focused even in the final stages and celebrated a well-deserved victory.