SCM on the way to defending their title?
The temple of handball is without question the Lanxess Arena in Cologne. And it is precisely this arena that the eight quarter-finalists in the Champions League are aiming for. Two German teams also have the Final Four on the Rhine on their agenda. In our Kielce vs Magdeburg betting tip, we take a look at whether the Polish serial champions can spoil the defending champions’ chances of reaching the semi-finals
Before we get to the sporting history of this match, the personnel issue of Andreas Wolff must be addressed. The German international goalkeeper is currently under contract in Kielce. However, after Magdeburg’s goalie Nikola Portner was suspended for doping, SCM is looking for a new goalkeeper. According to reports, Andreas Wolff will pitch his tent in Saxony-Anhalt before the new season. We will be following this story with interest.
But now let’s get back to the first leg of the quarter-final. The odds suggest that a close match can be expected. It is therefore difficult to make a suitable prediction between Kielce and Magdeburg. However, the newly crowned German cup winners should tend to have the slightly better cards in this first leg, and especially in the total for both games
In any case, the encounter is interesting because of the many parallels between the two rivals, which begin with the tug-of-war over Andreas Wolff and lead to this season’s title chase. If one of the two rivals secures the Champions League title in the end, this triumph could make the season perfect by winning the treble.
Kielce – statistics & current form
Industria Kielce is a club with hardly any competition in Poland. Wisla Plock can still keep up to a certain extent, but the bottom line is that the national titles are served up on a silver platter year after year. This season, Talant Dujshebaev’s team is once again on the verge of a national double. Kielce are currently in the semi-finals of the Polish Ekstraklasa, where they will take on Chobry Glogow
Last defeat was two months ago
The semi-finals of the Polish Cup are also on the agenda. The opponent there is Wybrzene Gdansk. That should also be a task that can be described as a formality. However, this is precisely the problem for the Poles, who have won the national championship twelve years in a row and are now on the verge of their 13th title in a row
In the Superliga, Industria Kielce are not usually challenged. Flipping that switch in the Champions League is probably the biggest challenge for Talant Dujshebaev and his players. In recent weeks, they have at least managed to do so quite well, as they have not lost in their last 13 games. Kielce’s last defeat came just over two months ago against Paris Saint-Germain.
Last Saturday, the Polish champions beat Chobry Glogow 30:22 in the title play-offs and lead the series 1:0. Coach Talant Dujshebaev was once again without his son and captain Alex. However, the playmaker should be on the court on Wednesday. This is probably the only reason to take a look at the odds for a home win between Kielce and Magdeburg.
Predicted Kielce line-up:
Mestric, Wolff – A. Dujshebaev, D.Dujshebaev, Karacic, Karalek, Kounkoud, Moryto, Nahi, Olejniczak, Paczkowski, Surgiel, Thrastarson, Wiaderny – Coach: T. Dujshebaev
Magdeburg – Statistics & current form
Not a few handball experts see SC Magdeburg as the best team on the planet at the moment. This assessment is certainly not too far-fetched, as Bennet Wiegert’s team can back up this assumption with facts. In November, the team from Anhalt won the IHF Super Globe, making them the official club world champions in handball
Last defeat two months ago
In addition, SCM are the reigning champions in the Champions League. However, Magdeburg can not only do it away from home, but also at home. It was just over a week ago that SCM won the Final Four of the DHB Cup in Cologne after defeating Füchse Berlin and MT Melsungen to claim their next title.
Winning the German championship should also only be a formality. With six matchdays to go before the end of the season, Magdeburg have two fewer points than Füchse Berlin and have a very solvable remaining program. Ahead of the clash between Kielce and Magdeburg, we dare to predict that the Anhalt club will win a total of four titles this season.
Last Friday, SCM won 32:29 at previously unbeaten SG Flensburg, dominating the match at will and not even coming under so much pressure as to believe they would lose a point. It was their twelfth competitive win in a row. If Bennet Wiegert’s team manage to produce the consistent performances of recent weeks in Poland, an away win should certainly be possible.
Predicted line-up for Magdeburg:
Aggefors, Hernandez – Bergendahl, Claar, Damgaard, Hornke, Kristjansson, Lagergren, Magnusson, Mertens, Musche, O’Sullivan, Petterson, Saugstrup, Smarason, Weber – Coach: Wiegert
Kielce – Magdeburg head-to-head comparison / H2H record
Industria Kielce and SC Magdeburg have actually only met twice before. However, they were great and at times overwhelming matches, both of which the Anhalt club won. The first encounter was around a year ago and took place in Cologne. It was the grand final of the Champions League. The score was 26:26 after 60 minutes, but the Anhalt side had the better end in extra time and secured the title with a 30:29 victory.
The second match took place less than six months later and was again a decisive duel. In the Ministry of Sports Hall in Damman, Saudi Arabia, Magdeburg won the semi-final of the IHF Super Globe 28:24, with Omar Ingi Magnusson being the best scorer for the Anhalt side. Frenchman Dylan Nahi also scored six times for Kielce
Kielce – Magdeburg tip
It’s a shame that this match between Industria Kielce and SC Magdeburg is already in the quarter-finals. It’s a rematch of last year’s Champions League final and we could have imagined both teams playing in the Final Four in Cologne. However, one of them will have to bow out in this quarter-final.
Both teams are in good shape going into these direct duels. The Poles are unbeaten in 13 games and SCM have won twelve in a row. The question is what these streaks are worth. The Anhalt team certainly had the tougher program with recent matches against Berlin, Melsungen and Flensburg and because they have held their own, we would still tend to bet on the visitors at our tested betting provider Betano between Kielce and Magdeburg
We think it’s conceivable that there won’t be that many goals scored on Wednesday. This is probably also down to a highly motivated Andreas Wolff, who will want to be at his best in these special circumstances. However, we are of the opinion that it will not be enough for him to keep the victory in Poland. We have decided to play the betting odds on an away win between Kielce and Magdeburg
