Champions League winner SC Magdeburg achieved a hat trick at the Handball Club World Cup. The German final against Bundesliga leaders Füchse Berlin went into extra time.
Champions League winner SC Magdeburg has won the Club World Cup in handball for the third time in a row. The German runner-up won the final against the European League winner Füchse Berlin with 34:32 (29:29, 13:16) after extra time in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday (November 12, 2023) and, like in 2021 and 2022, won the trophy .
The best throwers for the Magdeburg team, who beat Poland’s top team Industria Kielce 28:24 in the semi-finals, were Albin Lagergren and Janus Smarason with seven goals each. Mathias Gidsel scored nine times for the capital club, which eliminated Spanish series champions FC Barcelona in the semi-finals with a 35:34 win after extra time.
A game from the beginning
The Bundesliga leaders from the capital got off to a better start. He acted purposefully in attack, but it was above all the saves from keeper Dejan Milosavljev that ensured that the Berliners took the lead straight away. They pulled away to 7:4.
But afterwards they found it more difficult to attack. After a quarter of an hour the Bördestädter equalized again (7:7). But the Foxes remained calm and could continue to count on Milosavljev. At halftime they were back within three goals.
And the Foxes also came out of the locker room well and extended their lead to five goals (19:14). But then the Berliners, who were now getting tired, started losing the ball more and more. After almost 47 minutes, Magdeburg took the lead for the first time.
High premium for SCM
But it remained tight. Eight seconds before the end, Milosavljev saved a seven-meter shot and saved his team into overtime. The decision was made 35 seconds before the end when Janus Smarason scored to make it 34:32.
The SCM received a prize of $400,000 for the triumph. The Berliners, who won the title in 2015 and 2016, received $250,000. Barcelona secured third place with a 33:30 win against Kielce.
