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(THW Kiel v Veszprém 36-35 eeo) Sander Sagosen scored the decisive goal as THW Kiel reached the Champions League final after a highly dramatic finish.
– That was fun. These types of matches are the ones you want to win. You will play these regular matches. Maybe we were too confident in the second half and they punished us with some simple goals. Then it goes fast, but in the end I’m happy that we won, says Swedish Kiel player Niclas Ekberg in a post-match digital press conference.
Ekberg decided the match with the late score 36-35. Beforehand, it was Sander Sagosen who showed his best face. The Norwegian took the ball with him at speed and bet towards the center. So he got more opponents in, something he took advantage of to play Ekberg down the wing, who certainly scored his seventh goal of the night.
– The last minute is the best of handball. This is why we train so hard. Tomorrow there is a new party. We must restart and be ready for Barcelona, says Ekberg about the final that awaits us on Tuesday night.
LAST TRY: Veszprém got a free kick in the final second but failed to pass the ball to Kiel. Sagosen number two from the right on the block. Photo: THILO SCHMUELGEN / X03860
THW Kiel has struggled in the 2020/21 season in the Champions League, and has only managed seven points from eight group stage matches. Things were much better in the group match last season, where the group won. Since then, Sander Sagosen has also joined the team following the transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.
Due to the corona pandemic, the decisive matches were moved from spring to this week, with three Norwegians involved in Monday’s second semi-final, with Harald Reinkind and Sagosen for THW Kiel and Kent Robin Tønnesen for Veszprém.
Sagosen, as usual, set the tone in the first round. The Norwegian scored three goals in the first half and was heavily involved in leading the German team 18-13 at halftime.
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In the second half, Veszprém took full charge and went from 13-18 to 28-24 in 51 minutes. Sagosen was among those who fought for Kiel, but in the last minutes she was awakened to life again. After five shots early in the round, he hit 28-28 and 29-28.
The Norwegian threw the ball when Veszprem tied at 29-29 two minutes before the end. Sagosen had a chance to become the winner of the match with five seconds remaining, but had to see goalkeeper Rodrigo Corrales Rodal get in the way.
STANDING: Sander Sagosen impressed in the final minutes and helped lead Kiel to the final of the Champions League. Photo: Martin Meissner / AP
The Kiel players heard their coach’s words ringing in their ears and switched their side attacks to the middle. Sagosen made another attempt to outwit the keeper, but failed to get past the keeper’s shot.
Thus, there were extra entries in the semifinals. In the first, it was Veszprém who left and took a break at 34-32. Thus, Kiel had five minutes to turn the game around. They did it masterfully. Sander Sagosen set the deciding goal when Kiel finally won 36-35.
THW Kiel beat Veszprém in both group stage matches a year ago, but after the crown pandemic put an end to the last match, you had to wait the last week of the year to find out which of them reached the final. Tuesday in the Champions League.
The two teams are also in the same group in the 2020/21 Champions League season. It is the Hungarians who have had the advantage, with a draw in Kiel and an eight-goal win at home in early December.
On Monday, there was a new even match, where Kiel finally emerged victorious.
In the final, Barcelona await Kiel, after beating PSG 37-32 on Monday. Veszprém and PSG meet for a bronze final at 6pm. The final starts at 8.30pm and both matches are broadcast on V Sport 1.
