Top match in the Getec Arena
In handball, the programme is extremely tough for many teams these days. As an example, we can mention SC Magdeburg, who will play their fourth game in eight days on May Day and there was no game in which they could take it out of gear and win with 80 percent. That will hardly be the case on Sunday at home against the Füchse Berlin.
But the big goals can perhaps mobilise the necessary forces at the SCM. Above all, there is the first win of the German championship in 21 years. Back then, coach Bennet Wiegert was still involved as a player, now he wants to repeat this feat as a coach. A look at the table makes it clear that the prospects of Magdeburg winning the title are extremely good.
After 26 games, the SCM have just four minus points on their account. That is six less than their rivals from Kiel and Berlin in second and third place. So the Anhalt team can still afford two defeats and a draw and would still be champions in the end. But we think that before the top match between Magdeburg and the Füchse Berlin, the forecast can only go in the direction of the SCM, both for Sunday and in terms of the championship.
Maybe the Füchse can make the title race exciting again. The main objective on Sunday, however, will be to stay on course for second place, which would mean participation in the Champions League. With Kiel, Flensburg and the Füchse, three top-class teams are currently fighting for this position.
Magdeburg – Statistics & current form
SC Magdeburg could have won four titles this season. After the IHF Super Globe, the championship, the European League and the DHB Cup should have been brought to Magdeburg. The cup win is no longer possible after Bennet Wiegert’s team lost out to THW Kiel in the final at the Final Four in Hamburg last weekend.
Drops only against THW Kiel
In terms of the European Cup and the championship, things are looking much better. In both competitions, the Anhalt players are the big favourites. Sometimes it can be seen that Magdeburg are getting problems with substance, but in the last 19 games there were also only two defeats, both against THW Kiel. Therefore, we mainly look at the odds for a home win in the match between Magdeburg and Füchse Berlin.
Last weekend, the SCM had to take to the plate at the Final Four in Hamburg on Saturday and Sunday. The defeat by seven goals in the final against Kiel was already a very bitter failure, but already on Tuesday there was another sense of achievement. The SCM played the strong French team HBC Nantes in the quarter-finals of the European League. For a long time it was a game of equals, but in the end the class of the defending champions prevailed.
With the 28:25 victory in France, the Anhalt team is in a great position for the return match next Tuesday in their own hall. Once again it was Omar Ingi Magnusson who made the difference. The Icelander was only successful on six of his eleven attempts, but was still Magdeburg’s best shooter.
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:
EHF European League Final Stage
27/04/2022 – HBC Nantes 25 – 28 SC Magdeburg
Bundesliga
10/04/2022 – HSG Wetzlar 26 – 29 SC Magdeburg
EHF European League Final Stage
06/04/2022 – SC Magdeburg 36 – 35 Sporting CP
Bundesliga
31/03/2022 – SC Magdeburg 30 – 22 TSV Hannover-Burgdorf
EHF European League Final Stage
30/03/2022 – Sporting CP 29 – 29 SC Magdeburg
Füchse Berlin – Statistics & current form
The Foxes have a strong squad and a great management. From there, it is no wonder that the Berliners are fighting for places in the Champions League, but in recent weeks, the capitals have lost a little ground. For a long time it looked like a safe second place, especially after they won at THW Kiel in mid-March. At the time, the Foxes were the team of the moment.
Not a good April for the Foxes
In the meantime, there really isn’t much of that left. In the last few weeks, Jaron Siewert’s team had to accept some setbacks. In the European League, they had to bow out in the round of 16 after two defeats against Nantes. If the Berliners had prevailed there, there would have been three derbies against Magdeburg within a week.
After their elimination from the European Cup, the Füchse have now won only one of their last four games. The Berliners played their last match on 10 April in the Bundesliga against Hannover and lost an unnecessary point. However, the game was completely open for 60 minutes and the 32:32 draw was probably logical.
Once again, it was the seemingly never-aging Hans Lindberg who made his mark on this match. The 40-year-old Dane was responsible for eleven goals alone. This makes him number one in the HBL’s list of goal scorers. Because his SCM opponent Omar Ingi Magnusson follows in second place, one can definitely make a prediction of more than 56.5 goals on Sunday between Magdeburg and the Füchsen Berlin.
Predicted line-up of Füchse Berlin:
Genz, Milosavljev – Andersson, Beneke, Chrintz, Drux, Holm, Kopljar, Lindberg, Marsenic, Mathes, Morros, Vujovic, Wiede – coach: Siewert
Last matches played by Füchse Berlin:
Bundesliga
10/04/2022 – Füchse Berlin 32 – 32 TSV Hannover-Burgdorf
EHF European League Final Stage
05/04/2022 – Füchse Berlin 30 – 33 HBC Nantes
Bundesliga
31/03/2022 – Bergischer HC 23 – 28 Füchse Berlin
EHF European League Final Stage
30/03/2022 – HBC Nantes 25 – 24 Füchse Berlin
Bundesliga
27/03/2022 – Rhein-Neckar-Löwen 24 – 29 Füchse Berlin
Magdeburg – Füchse Berlin Direct comparison / H2H balance
There have been a total of 35 East derbies between SC Magdeburg and Füchse Berlin to date. In the direct comparison, the Berliners are ahead with 19:11 wins and five draws. Recently, however, the SCM has always had the upper hand. The Anhalt team has won the last four direct encounters, including last year’s European League final.
Bennet Wiegert’s team has won all four of these games by at least three goals. The last encounter was last November in Berlin. SC Magdeburg won 33:29 away from home. The SCM was already six goals ahead at the break. Needless to say, Omar Ingi Magnusson and Hans Lindberg were the best scorers for their teams.
Magdeburg – Füchse Berlin Tip
The SCM may not be invulnerable in the Getec Arena, but Bennet Wiegert’s team is still hard to beat in their own arena. In general, the Magdeburg team will not want to miss the chance to bring the championship title back to the Börde after 21 years. A home win on May Day in the derby against the Berliners would be another big step towards the title.
SCM have only lost two games in their last 19, both against THW Kiel. In addition, Magdeburg won the last four direct duels against the Füchse. In addition, the Berliners are not in good form at the moment and have only won one of their last four games.
Because the two best goal scorers in the Bundesliga will be on the pitch, it is safe to assume that many goals will be scored, especially since both teams prefer a fast tempo game. But we think that SCM will not miss the chance to go further towards the title. We have decided to play the betting odds on a handicap win (-2.5) for the SCM between Magdeburg and the Füchse Berlin.
