 Holstebro march on to Nantes
Team Tvis Holstebro complete the list of the EHF Cup Finals participants in Nantes on 18/19 May. The team of coach Klavs Bruun Jørgensen caused a major upset in the all-Danish quarter-final against the favoured team of KIF Kolding and took a lucky 27:26 victory after the first leg had ended in a 24:24 draw.
Besides Holstebro, host HBC Nantes and the two German sides Rhein Neckar Löwen and Frisch Auf Göppingen will face in the first ever EHF Cup Finals in a tournament format. The draw for the semi-finals will take place in the hosting city on Tuesday, 11:00 hrs local time.
Team Tvis Holstebro (DEN) vs. KIF Kolding (DEN) 27:26 (11:15) – first leg 24:24
It was a perfect handball day at Holstebro and it can become a perfect season for Team Tvis: right after the women’s team had qualified for the finals of the Danish league despite a 26:27 home defeat against Randers, the men’s team even caused a bigger surprise for their spectators.
Three seconds before the final buzzer Michael Damgaard made the arena go crazy, when netting in for the 27:26 against KIF Kolding to clinch the berth for the EHF Cup Finals. Kolding were dominant for 45 minutes, leading by four goals at the break and even five goals difference in minute 42. But then Holstebro started their chase – and finally shattered all Kolding hopes, a team who had beaten them three times in the league season.
“It is totally crazy, not only the match, but our full season in the EHF Cup. We never ever would have dared to dream to make it to the final tournament, when we started our mission in the second qualification round,” said Mads Christiansen to Danish TV station DR.
And the men followed the women again – as they will fight for the EHF Cup title in the upcoming two weekends in their final against French side Metz.
TEXT: Björn Pazen / br
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