On Sunday afternoon, the Wartburg Cup in Eisenach featured a showdown between the two previously undefeated teams. SG Flensburg-Handewitt won the “final” against SC Magdeburg 33–32 (16–15) and took home the trophy.
Just before the opening whistle, the music of “Hölle Nord” actually blared from the speakers. The game certainly lived up to the hype. The 60 minutes were packed with intensity and thrilling one-on-one battles. When the SG managed to tighten up its central defense, it took the lead for the first time shortly before halftime. Marko Grgić scored at his former home arena to make it 14–13. “My team was very motivated and had great focus,” said a delighted SG coach Aleš Pajović. “We had the right amount of patience and made very few unnecessary mistakes.” In the second half, the SG never trailed again. With a few quick counterattacks, they built up a slight lead.
Thrilling Final Stretch
With four minutes remaining, the SG led 31–28. Nevertheless, the match became tense once again. SC Magdeburg closed the gap to 32–33 and regained possession just seconds before the final whistle. Fortunately, Benjamin Burić was there to secure the victory. “That was a really good exhibition game,” said a delighted SG coach Aleš Pajović. “And I’m even happier that we beat Magdeburg. You don’t beat the German champions every day.” Simon Pytlick added: “Overall, we played well over the three days. Our defense got better and better each day. Today it was truly outstanding.”
SG Flensburg-Handewitt: Burić (10 saves), Möller (on four 7-meter throws) – Pytlick (5), Kirkeløkke (7), Bergholt (2), Grgić (4), Jakobsen (9/1), Arnarsson, Minne (4), Novak (2), Møller
