Bundesliga handball team SC Magdeburg has secured fourth place in Group B of the Champions League. They beat Pick Szeged from Hungary 31:24 (13:13) on Wednesday evening. Matthias Musche was SCM's top scorer with nine goals. The win means SCM avoids a round of 16 tie against league rivals Füchse Berlin. The Magdeburgers will face either Dinamo Bucharest or Wisla Plock.
Without Gisli Kristjansson and Omar Ingi Magnusson, Magdeburg got off to a good start and Sergey Hernandez in goal also worked immediately (4:1/6th). However, the visitors then adjusted better to the SCM's attacks and turned the game around (6:7/15). Time and again, Magdeburg's shots landed in the net or with goalkeeper Roland Mikler. The SCM turned around a three-goal deficit at one stage, but had to settle for a draw at the break.
Magdeburg also struggled with its positional attack after the break and needed extensive groundwork for each goal. SCM built up a small lead with good defensive work, but it did not last long. However, Magdeburg held on in the tight encounter and led by four goals (24:20/50). Szeged called its final timeout (52'), but Magdeburg now looked more alert than the visitors, who were no longer able to threaten Magdeburg's success.
