Kiel takes bronze: Victory over Magdeburg secures podium place

Magdeburg and Kiel had to settle for playing for the bronze after yesterday’s losses. Kiel impressed in the first half and managed to keep Magdeburg at bay until the final whistle, securing their bronze medal. It was also Niclas Ekberg’s last match in the Kiel jersey.

Following a brief pause at the start of the match due to water issues on the field, the game resumed. Kiel quickly bounced back from yesterday’s performance and took the lead 2–0. Niclas Ekberg took on significant responsibility, scoring three of Kiel’s first four goals. Then, Eric Johansson made his mark with four consecutive goals, giving Kiel a three-goal lead.

In a chaotic situation where players from both teams were scrambling for the ball, the referees decided, after video review, to give Christian O’Sullivan a red card. O’Sullivan also received a red card in yesterday’s semifinal and in both last year’s semifinal and final. This extends the Norwegian’s disqualification record, as he has received a red card in every match in the TruckScout24 EHF Final 4 he has played, totaling four.

Magdeburg didn’t quite reach their level, giving Kiel the opportunity to extend their lead. Tomas Mrkva made some saves in goal, and Johansson remained effective upfront. In Magdeburg, Sergey Hernandez Ferrer struggled, leading Mikael Aggefors to take his place between the posts. Kiel went into halftime with a nine-goal lead, with Johansson leading the scoring with six goals.

Halftime: SC Magdeburg-THW Kiel 14–23

Sergey Hernandez Ferrer was back in goal for Magdeburg, and the team gradually closed the gap on Kiel. After ten minutes of play, Kiel led 25–19. The teams then traded goals, but Kiel maintained a six-goal lead.

Magdeburg refused to give up, with Felix Claar taking charge in attack while Hernandez Ferrer made several crucial saves in defense. Eric Johansson received his second suspension, resulting in a penalty shot for Magdeburg. However, Tomas Mrkva made a crucial save. With ten minutes remaining, Kiel led 28–23, and despite a valiant effort from Magdeburg to narrow the gap, Kiel remained relatively calm and never allowed the opponents to come closer than three goals. Oscar Bergendahl had a chance to reduce the deficit to two goals and put pressure on Kiel, but Tomas Mrkva made a decisive save.

When the final whistle blew, it was clear that Kiel was the victor. For Niclas Ekberg, this was his final match in the Kiel jersey, and he ended his time at the German club with a bronze medal.

Final Score: SC Magdeburg-THW Kiel 28–32