The championship as a consolation prize
You have to leave the church in the village. SC Magdeburg has had an outstanding and sensational season this year. The fact that they lost the finals of both the DHB Cup and the European League leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, but when they celebrate their first German championship in 21 years on Thursday, all should be right with the world on the Börde.
There should be no question that Bennet Wiegert’s team will wrap up the title in their home match against Balingen-Weilstetten. Three matchdays before the end of the season, the SCM has a six-point lead over THW Kiel. Because in handball there are two points for a win, a draw against the relegation candidates from Swabia on Thursday will be enough to get the party started.
However, Balingen will not come to the GETEC Arena to be congratulated, because Jens Bürkle’s team still needs every point in the relegation battle. They are currently second to last and that would mean relegation to the second Bundesliga. The table alone makes it clear that before the match between Magdeburg and Balingen-Weilstetten, a prediction on the SCM winning the title is hardly exaggerated.
Balingen still have to pick up at least one point to reach the save shore. More likely, though, they need to pick up at least one win in their last three games.
Magdeburg – Statistics & current form
It could have been a season with four titles. SC Magdeburg was so close. After the World Cup triumph, however, there were two final defeats. In the DHB Cup, Bennet Wiegert’s team lost out to THW Kiel and in the European League, they were beaten by Benfica Lisbon. No wonder that the mood at the SCM has been somewhat depressed in the last few days.
Painful defeat in European Cup
But now they just have to join forces once more and then at least the long-awaited German championship will be wrapped up and with it probably the most important title for the Anhalt team. A look at the form shows that it is still great. The Magdeburg team has won eight of its last nine games, so there’s no reason why they shouldn’t win in their own hall on Thursday.
The SCM did not lose last Sunday in the final of the European League in regular playing time either. Seconds before the end, the Anhalt team was even ahead by one goal. Benfica finally managed to equalise and prevailed in extra time. Very bitter when you consider that Magdeburg already had more than one hand on the trophy and were only seconds away from defending the title.
It will have taken some time to digest this defeat. But at the latest at the kick-off on Thursday only the German championship counts and then Bennet Wiegert’s team will give full throttle again and that’s why we also look at the odds for a handicap at half-time between Magdeburg and Balingen.
Predicted line-up of Magdeburg:
Green, Jensen – Bezjak, Chrapkowski, Damgaard, Gullerud, Hornke, Kristjansson, Magnusson, Mertens, Musche, O’Sullivan, Pettersson, Saugstrup, Smits, Weber – Coach: Wiegert
Last matches played by Magdeburg:
Bundesliga
02/06/2022 – SC Magdeburg 31 – 26 Balingen-Weilstetten
EHF European League Final Stage
29/05/2022 – SL Benfica 40 – 39 SC Magdeburg
28/05/2022 – SC Magdeburg 34 – 29 RK Nexe
Bundesliga
22/05/2022 – HSV Hamburg 22 – 32 SC Magdeburg
19/05/2022 – SC Magdeburg 38 – 20 TuS-N-Lübbecke
Balingen-Weilstetten – statistics & current form
For a seriously run club that is in a relegation battle, it behoves one to plan for two tracks. That’s what the Gauls have done, of course, and the signs are mounting that they can hardly expect to stay in the top flight. After all, most of the players’ contracts are also valid for the second division. A complete upheaval would therefore not be necessary for the Swabians.
With a series of bankruptcies in the second division?
But before it gets to that point and they get used to the idea of second division, Balingen will try everything to avoid relegation after all. Their form alone, with four defeats in a row, all against beatable opponents, is no real encouragement. In the two away games in Magdeburg and then at the Füchsen Berlin, there is not much to be said for points for the Gaels either.
At the moment, it’s a matter of picking up one point and 48 goals. On the next two matchdays, they have to hope that their rivals from Minden don’t score any more points and maybe it will come to a showdown on the last matchday. All in all, the Balingen team hasn’t looked too bad in the last few games, despite the defeats.
They can lose by three goals against Lemgo, and defeats with a four-goal difference in Hanover or at home against Wetzlar are also quite acceptable. They will also put up a fight in Magdeburg, but in the end we rather expect to be right in predicting a double-digit victory for the designated champions in the duel between Magdeburg and Balingen.
Predicted line-up of Balingen:
Ruminsky, Sejr – Beciri, Fugel, Gretarsson, Heinzelmann, Huber, Ingason, Lipovina, Nothdurft, Ruminsky, Schoch, Scott, Thomann, Todorovic, Wiederstein, Zintel – Coach: Bürkle
Last matches played by Balingen-Weilstetten:
Bundesliga
02/06/2022 – SC Magdeburg 31 – 26 Balingen-Weilstetten
19/05/2022 – Balingen-Weilstetten 24 – 28 HSG Wetzlar
12/05/2022 – TSV Hannover-Burgdorf 31 – 27 Balingen-Weilstetten
08/05/2022 – Balingen-Weilstetten 29 – 32 TBV Lemgo
28/04/2022 – Bergischer HC 29 – 21 Balingen-Weilstetten
Magdeburg – Balingen-Weilstetten Direct comparison / H2H balance
In total, the teams of SC Magdeburg and HBW Balingen-Weilstetten have met on the record in 29 matches. The direct comparison is a clear affair for the Anhalt team. After victories, the SCM is ahead with 20:4. Five duels ended in a draw. Especially in the last few years, the Gaels have not won many matches.
Of the last 13 games, the Swabians won only one. However, that victory came just over a year ago, in the GETEC Arena of all places. Bennet Wiegert and his players should therefore be warned. The first leg in the current season, however, went more than clearly to the upcoming German champions in a 28:17 away win.
Magdeburg – Balingen-Weilstetten Tip
We are sure that there will finally be a reason to celebrate for SC Magdeburg on Thursday. The Anhaltiners only need one point to clinch the German championship and then all the dams will burst. However, we don’t expect SCM to be satisfied with just one point. We expect a highly concentrated front-runner who will be looking for a clear victory.
Bennet Wiegert’s team have won eight of their last nine games and even though the European League final defeat hurts, it is quite likely that they will win the national title again on Thursday after a 21-year drought.
The remaining doubts after four defeats in a row are small. But the Gauls won at the GETEC Arena last season. However, such a feat is unlikely to succeed again in the current condition of both teams. We therefore play the betting odds on a handicap of -5.5 for the SCM at the break in the match between Magdeburg and Balingen.
