Magdeburg disappoints in Erlangen: draw despite Champions League victory!

Magdeburg disappoints in Erlangen: draw despite Champions League victory!

In an exciting duel in the handball Bundesliga last weekend, SC Magdeburg suffered its first loss of points of the current season. In the game against HC Erlangen, the teams split 31:31 after Erlangen was leading 11:16 at halftime. SC Magdeburg was unable to gain the upper hand after a thrilling exchange of blows and thus remains behind THW Kiel, which remains unbeaten. After the game, the coach Bennet Wiegert had to question the manner and performance of his players.

After the impressive win against FC Barcelona in the Champions League just 48 hours ago, in which Magdeburg prevailed 22:21, the players showed even more that the short recovery time against Erlangen was a decisive factor. “Our heads weren’t there,” Wiegert summed up. His team had difficulty finding its way into the game and quickly found itself trailing 6-2 before the strong second half took a turn.

A rollercoaster of emotions

The first 30 minutes were a challenge for the SC Magdeburg players. After 20 minutes, Wiegert had to call for a timeout that more teamwork was required. The reaction to this announcement was initially cautious, and Gisli Kristjansson criticized the team's performance at half-time. But in the second half SC Magdeburg showed a different character and came close again at 19:20.

While Erlangen temporarily increased its lead to three goals, Magdeburg managed to equalize at 27:27 six minutes before the end. In the exciting final phase, both teams had the chance to win, but the last bit of luck was not on Magdeburg's side. Daniel Pettersson secured the point for his team in the final minute, which ultimately had to settle for 31:31 - a point, definitely a surprise, because Erlangen competed with a skeleton team and relied on several young players.

Young talents in the spotlight

Erlangen's top scorer Marek Nissen praised the solid team performance and emphasized how important the young players were to their game. For Magdeburg, Omar Ingi Magnusson stood out with eleven goals and was the guests' player of the game. Despite the draw, SC Magdeburg's record remains impressive after a total of four league wins and two successes in the Champions League. Now it's time to look forward and learn the right lessons from this game.

The 5,003 spectators in the Nuremberg stadium experienced an exciting game that impressively demonstrated the sporting rivalry and the irrepressible spirit of handball. Magdeburg's coach Wiegert emphasized that the team “has to live with” the draw, even though they would certainly like to see improved performance in the next game. The league continues and the challenge remains great.

Find out more about the game at Handball World, Sports show and MDR.