Next CL win: SCM scores in Switzerland

It was an exclamation mark right away! Matej Mandic saved the first shot that came on his goal – regardless of the fact that it was fired from the seven-metre line. And while Matthias Musche, Magnus Saugstrup and Felix Claar scored from all positions in attack, the Croatian goalkeeper between the posts ensured that the number of goals conceded remained low. In the eleventh minute, Mandic even scored the 8-5 himself.

Albin Lagergren further extended the lead (9-5, 12th), whereupon the Swiss hosts disregarded their previously used seventh outfield player. But even the tactical change did not faze SCM. Daniel Pettersson made it plus five (12-7, 18th). Since Mandic continued to deliver – the keeper made nine saves in the first half alone – the lead continued to increase. In the 21st minute, Gisli Kristjansson danced his way through the defense before Omar Ingi Magnusson scored with a speed counter-attack to make it 15-8 and the buffer increased increasingly until the break (20-11, 30th).

The more than one hundred green-red fans who had travelled with them contributed loudly to the atmosphere in the Kriens Pilatus Arena early on – and that was not to change in the second half. Wiegert then made a change and distributed the playing time. Lukas Mertens went to the left wing, Antonio Serradilla got his appearances in defence and Philipp Weber provided new accents in the back. The game film, however, remained the same: Lagergren made it 25-15 (37th), Weber scored to make it 26-15 (38th) and Matej Mandic remained a bench at the back.

Captain Magnus Saugstrup and Co. kept HC at a distance until the end, with Malte Elze also making his debut in the EHF Champions League. In the end, SC Magdeburg secured the next two points on the international stage and, thanks to the better goal difference, takes the lead in Group F ahead of the Poles of Industria Kielce, who are level on points.