Magdeburg sure of quarter-final at the very least
SC Magdeburg are sure to qualify for at least the quarter-finals of the Men's EHF Cup after a Sunday, which also saw Füchse Berlin, RK Nexe and Chambery Savoie Mont Blanc Handball making sure to finish in top two of their groups.
-
SC Magdeburg made sure to at least reach the quarter-final
-
Helvetia Anaitasuna and RD Koper lost their last chance to reach the knockout phase
-
Austrian right wing Robert Weber became most scoring player of the day with 11 goals for Magdeburg
GROUP A
SC Magdeburg (GER) vs TATRAN Presov (SVK) 36:24 (22:12)
After their double-digits win against the Slovakian champions, Magdeburg are sure to reach the quarter-finals at the very least.
However, there may be more in it for the Bundesliga team.
Being organisers of the Ottostadt Magdeburg EHF Cup Finals this season, Magdeburg will proceed directly to the Finals, if they win the group or finish among the three best second-places teams in the group phase.
So far, Magdeburg are only sure to finish in one of the two top spots in their group, but even if they finish as the worst number two, they will still play the quarter-final.
Missing long-term injured left back Michael Damgaard did not bother Magdeburg Sunday afternoon, where they left no doubt.
After an early 4:0 lead and by way of a ten goal-lead at half time, the home team cruised to their fourth win out of four in the group phase.
Austrian right wing Robert Weber scored 11 goals for Magdeburg.
Still being on one point, Presov are without any chance to proceed in the tournament
GROUP B
Füchse Berlin (GER) vs Helvetia Anaitasuna (ESP) 34:23 (17:10)
It is no wonder, if Anaitasuna goalkeeper Henrik Nordlander is enjoying the European matches this season.
They may be his last for some time. Next season, the 25-year-old Swedish keeper will be joining Danish league team SøndersjyskE who are not going to play in Europe.
Nordlander and his teammates in Anaitasuna will only have two more European matches to enjoy, though.
After their defeat in Berlin, the Spanish team are without any chance to proceed from the group phase.
After an equal beginning, it did not take Füchse long to establish a seven-goal lead, and by scoring the last six goals in the match, they managed to increase the lead to 11 goals at the end, much to the satisfaction of the 5983 spectators in the Max Schmeling Halle.
Füchse are sure to finish on one of the two top spots in the group, but they are still not sure to reach the quarter-finals.
If EHF Cup Finals organisers SC Magdeburg win Group A or finish among the three best second-place teams, they will proceed directly to the Finals.
This will mean that only three of the second-placed teams in the group phase will get a quarter-final ticket, so Füchse will have to wait at least another round to know their fate.
GROUP C
RK Nexe (CRO) vs RD Koper (SLO) 29:24 (15:12)
Nexe are sure to finish either first or second in the group, while Koper lost their last chance to proceed in the competition, as Nexe won the second match between the two clubs within a week.
Koper were only leading at 2:1 and 3:2 at the beginning; the rest of the match belonged to Nexe.
After several two-goal leads, the home team got three goals up shortly before half time, and for most of the last 30 minutes, the Croatian hosts were leading by four or five goals.
Five goals were also the distance at the end, then.
GROUP D
Fraikin BM Granollers (ESP) vs Wacker Thun (SUI) 25:24 (10:10)
Not until their Serbian left back Vukasin Rakocija made it 25:23 with 25 seconds left could Granollers feel sure to avenge last weekend's 26:23 away defeat against Thun-
Granollers seemed to be getting control on the game, as they changes a 5:4 deficit into an 8:5 lead, but Thun came back into the driver's seat at 9:10, and throughout the second half, the visitors managed to keep the game on a knife's edge.
“We really believed we would be able to defeat those proud Spaniards, but unfortunately, it was not enough,” said Wacker coach Martin Rubin.
With the narrow win, Granollers strengthened their second position in the group, while the Swiss group phase debutants have to see their quarter-final hopes starting to vanish.
Chambery Savoie Mont Blanc Handball (FRA) vs KS Azoty-Pulawy SA (POL) 28:22 (14:9)
The clear win in front of 2,417 spectators in Le Phare Sunday afternoon made Chambery sure to finish either first or second in the group, but just like Füchse Berlin in Group B and RK Nexe in Group C, the French side cannot feel sure of the quarter-final yet.
Pulawy, on the other hand, lost their last chance to reach the next stage of the tournament with this defeat.
Chambery were dominating from the start, leading 6:1, and after still being five goals up at half time, the home team did not allow their opponent to get any closer than five goals.
TEXT: Peter Bruun / br
|
