SC Magdeburg Defeats Stuttgart

German champion SC Magdeburg secured a hard-fought victory in the Handball Bundesliga. In front of 6,520 spectators, the team from Magdeburg defeated TVB Stuttgart 29–28 (18–13). Magdeburg’s top scorer was Gisli Kristjansson with seven goals.

The game got off to a slow start; Magdeburg had to work hard for their goals and quickly gave up their slim lead (3–1/5th minute). Stuttgart stayed close to the Elbe-based team, but Magdeburg pulled away again during a power play. Former Stuttgart player Antonio Serradilla extended the lead to three for the first time (9–6/16th minute). 

Magdeburg pulls ahead before halftime

The SCM then had its strongest stretch, extending its lead—and Stuttgart’s Philip Meyer was shown a red card for a foul (12–7/22.). There was a stir at the halftime whistle when Stuttgart’s supposed 18:13 lead was disallowed due to a substitution error, and the final seconds of the half were replayed after several minutes of review. 

The visitors came out of the break stronger, cutting the lead with a 3–0 run before Kristjansson scored the SCM’s first goal. The SCM couldn’t tighten up their defense and struggled greatly on offense against the visitors’ aggressive coverage. This allowed Stuttgart to tie the game (24–24/47th minute), prompting SCM coach Bennet Wiegert to call a timeout. The timeout had only a brief effect, as TVB closed the gap in the final minute before the SCM ran out the clock.