Magdeburg bounce back after slow start to seal semi-finals berth

A well-taken time-out by coach Bennet Wiegert helped SC Magdeburg exit their early rut to bounce back and seal a superb 35:23 win against Al Duhail.
 
The German side, who finished second at the 2002 IHF Men’s Super Globe, will have a chance to secure a place in Saturday’s final, facing either Danish champions Aalborg Håndbold or Saudi side Al-Wehda in the semi-finals.
 
QUARTER-FINAL
Al Duhail (QAT) vs SC Magdeburg (GER) 23:35 (9:16)
 
For the first 15 minutes of the game, it really looked like Al Duhail stood a fighting chance against SC Magdeburg. It might have been a lack of focus, tired legs after yesterday’s game or simply a bad start, but the German side scored only three goals.
 
On the other side, Al Duhail lived through Rafael Capote’s goals and three saves from goalkeeper Bilal Lepenica, as a surprise looked to be on the cards, with the Asian champions taking a 7:4 lead.
 
However, the longstanding coach of Magdeburg, Bennet Wiegert, called a time-out, which truly turned the game on its head. With some fine tunes, the EHF European League Men winners were back firmly on their feet and ready to seal any chance left over by Al Duhail.
 
Substituting goalkeeper Jannick Green with Mike Jensen was crucial, as Jensen finished the first half with a 75% saving efficiency, strengthening the core of the German defence, who conceded only two goals in the last 15 minutes of the first half.
 
By the 24th minute, Al Duhail’s coach Goran Djokic had already called two time-outs to weather the storm. Yet, in only 10 minutes, Magdeburg enjoyed a 9:1 run, spurred by backs Kai Smits and Michael Damgaard, who scored three goals each.
 
The game was already turned on its head and there was little the Qatari side could do to save anything from it. It was not about Jensen or Magdeburg’s defence, rather than the Qatari side racking up miss after miss in attack.
 
This did not stop or deter the German side, who continued to pounce in the second half, as right back Omar Ingi Magnusson, who replaced left wing Elias Ruddat for this game, scored five goals, while backs Tim Hornke and Michael Damgaard added six goals each to become the best scorers of the match.
 
With Al Duhail failing to get any answers in stopping Magdeburg, the game tied the record for the biggest goal difference in this year’s Super Globe, 12 goals, as Magdeburg sealed a 35:23 win against the Asian champions.
 
Taking out the first 15 minutes out of the equation, it was a perfect game for the German side, who could also rest some of their key players for the semi-final against the winner of the quarter-final between Aalborg Håndbold and Al-Wehda.
 
Magdeburg have scored 67 goals in two games in Jeddah, underlining once again their attacking strength this season and extending their winning streak to eight games in all competitions.
 
On the other side, Al Duhail head into Group A of the placement round 5-10, where they will face San Francisco CalHeat and the loser of the third quarter-final.
 
This loss also ties Al Duhail’s biggest ever defeat in the competition alongside the 26:38 drubbing against Barça in 2019.