Berlin win rematch of last season’s final

Berlin won their first match of the Men’s EHF Cup Group Phase, but it was a close affair, as 15 minutes before the end of the game, they were still only ahead by one goal.

Saint-Raphael never gave up the fight, but once again Berlin proved too strong for the French visitors with German national players Paul Drux and Fabian Wiede key for the hosts.

• Berlin win their first match of the Group Phase, but it was a close affair
• This is the third consecutive win for Füchse Berlin against Saint-Raphael
• Berlin’s Paul Drux and Hans Lindberg and Saint-Raphael’s Xavier Barachet all scored seven

GROUP A
Füchse Berlin (GER) vs Saint-Raphael Var Handball (FRA) 33:29 (17:15)

The rematch of last season’s final was as full of suspense as any handball fan would have wished. Even though Berlin quickly counted a four-goal advantage, thanks to a strong defence and two goals in a row by Fabian Wiede, they could not get rid of their opponents that quickly.

Even though they were experiencing some defensive troubles, conceding 18 goals in the first thirty minutes alone, the French club could count on an efficient back court to remain in the game and, at half-time, they were only led by two.

Saint-Raphael narrowed the gap after coming back from the dressing room, and a double goal by Vadim Gaydushenko put the two teams level at 21 with 20 minutes still to play.

Berlin proved to be slightly better defensively while, on the other side of the court, Paul Drux was making the most of every opportunity. Drux and Hans Lindberg scored both seven for Füchse, with Lindberg’s final goal two minutes from the end giving Berlin a conclusive advantage.

After the first round, Berlin and La Rioja are tied at the top of Group A with two points each, while Saint-Raphael and Balatonfüredi have zero points.