Led by the outstanding director Juri Knorr and a hitting veteran Uwe Gensheimer, the Rhein-Neckar Löwen celebrated the second cup triumph in their club's history in a dramatic handball thriller and destroyed SC Magdeburg's triple dream.
In the final of the Final4, in front of 19,750 spectators in Cologne, the Mannheim team defeated the German handball champions 5:3 in a seven-meter throw. After 70 minutes it was 31:31 (27:27, 16:13). Like in 2018, the lions won the pot. Magdeburg, on the other hand, has to wait for the third cup coup after 1996 and 2016.
"In the end I just slumped. The course of the game, I also left a few things in extra time," said Gensheimer, visibly upset on Sky. Kay Smits from Magdeburg, on the other hand, was in a low mood: "The disappointment is huge."
The winners were Gensheimer with eight goals and Knorr (6). The match winner, however, was substitute goalkeeper David Späth, who parried a seven-metre throw from Magdeburg's best shooter Kay Smits (9 goals) three seconds before the end of regulation time at a score of 27:27, saving his team extra time. The decision then fell in the crime thriller from the seven-meter line, in which the lions had the better end for themselves.
Knorr is the linchpin of the lions
With the lions, who were in the cup final for the fifth time, director Knorr was the lynchpin as the preparer and executor. In addition, the well-humoured national goalkeeper Joel Birlehm was initially a strong support and later also parried the decisive seven-metre throw.
In the final phase of the first half, the Mannheimers pulled away by three goals for the first time at 14:11 and took the small cushion with them into the break. After the change, the SCM came back quickly, but ran after the equalizer in vain for a long time.
Nine minutes before the end the time had come when Kristjansson scored to make it 24:24. Now the team of coach Bennet Wiegert was on the trigger and shortly afterwards even managed to take the lead. But the lions countered again and rewarded themselves for their strong performance after a balanced overtime, in which Gensheimer even missed two seven meters.
Already in the semifinals the day before, the cup winner had shone 38:31 against SG Flensburg-Handewitt and ended his recent series of four defeats in a row. Magdeburg had reached the final for the seventh time by beating Lemgo 33:31.
Flensburg secures third place
In the game for third place, Flensburg secured the consolation prize by beating Lemgo 28:23 (17:11). For the North Germans, things continue without a break and in the next two games they are about preserving their remaining chances for the title.
On Tuesday, the fourth-placed Bundesliga team will initially fight in the European League against the Spanish team of BM Granollers for a place in the Final Four, which SG will host at the end of May. Next Sunday, the 108th northern derby in the fight for the German championship will take place at the record champion and table leader THW Kiel.
