The Füchse Berlin have secured their spot in the Champions League Final Four following a gripping seven-meter shootout victory, keeping their dream of a first-ever title in European handball’s premier competition alive.
The German champions defeated Hungary’s Veszprem HC 35-33 (32:31, 17:15) after seven-meter throws in the second leg at their home arena, overturning a narrow 34-35 loss from the first leg.
“It feels incredible,” said national team player Tim Freihöfer, who scored seven goals and converted a crucial seven-meter shot in the shootout. “We reached the final last year and fell short. We made it our mission to get back there and bring home the title this time.”
World Handball Player of the Year Mathias Gidsel led Berlin with 11 goals, including the decisive seven-meter strike, making him the first player to secure a ticket to the Final Four in Cologne on June 13-14. The outstanding Danish star now has 144 goals in the competition this season, surpassing the record of his compatriot Mikkel Hansen (141 goals in 2015/16 for Paris Saint-Germain).
Milosavljev Shines in Goal for Berlin
Goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev delivered a stellar performance with 12 saves during regulation and one save in the shootout. Alongside Freihöfer and Gidsel, Nils Lichtlein and Tobias Gröndahl also converted their seven-meter attempts for Berlin.
Berlin’s coach Nicolej Krickau had predicted a “brutal game,” and it lived up to expectations. The German side, who had won both group-stage matches against Veszprem, started strongly, building a 5-1 lead and stretching it to six goals (17-11) just before halftime. However, Veszprem responded with a 4-0 run to narrow the gap before the break.
The second half turned into an open exchange, with both teams having chances to seal the win in the final seconds of regulation. The match went to a seven-meter shootout, and Gidsel’s decisive strike sent the Fuchsbau crowd into a frenzy.
The hunger for glory in Berlin is immense. Just three-and-a-half weeks ago, the Füchse won the DHB-Pokal. They became German champions for the first time last season and have also claimed the IHF Super Globe. Yet the Champions League title remains elusive. Last year, they fell in the final to SC Magdeburg, who face Pick Szeged on Thursday (18:45 CET) with a commanding 35-28 lead from the first leg.