The dream of defending their title at the Club World Championship continues for SC Magdeburg. The Bundesliga handball team won 28:24 (12:15) against Al Ahly thanks to a strong final phase. Magdeburg's top scorer and Man of the Match was Manuel Zehnder with nine goals. Magdeburg will play Veszprem for the title on Thursday and could become the first team to win the competition for the fourth time in a row.
Magdeburg began with a missed seven-meter penalty against the Egyptian local hero Al Ahly and trailed for a long time - after two technical mistakes in a row, the deficit was four goals early on (11th minute). Even a timeout by coach Bennet Wiegert did not improve matters at first, as the SCM was unable to find a grip in defense. Trailing by six goals, Wiegert called a second timeout (5:11/20). Magdeburg at least halved the deficit by the break.
The second half also began with a missed seven-meter penalty by the SCM. Magdeburg found it difficult for a long time to find gaps in Al Ahly's defense. Nevertheless, SCM remained within striking distance. The Magdeburg club finally took its first lead ever (23:22/52) in a prolonged spell of superior possession. The defending champions immediately extended that lead to four goals and did not let it slip away.
Copyright 2024, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
