THW Kiel beat Metalurg Skopje 30:25 in the away game counting for the 5th round of the competition. Without Nikola, Stefan Lövgren and Börge Lund, the back line was the weakest point of the team.
There was no walk in the park for THW tonight, but the most important remains the victory. With a back line composed from Filip Jicha, Dominik Klein and Kim Andersson, the German squad encountered enough difficulties to score. They did it only after 4 minutes for 1:0 and incredible for a handball game nowadays the scoreboard showed 1:1 after 8 minutes and 3:2 after 12 minutes! The favourite took the lead with 4:3/14. and didn´t give it from the hand until the end. After 30 minutes, THW was in front with 15:12.
In the second half the level of the game remained average. Omeyer, who showed again incredible saves, the two wingers, Lündstrom and Kavticnik and the both pivots, Ahlm and Anic, were closer to their habitual level as the players from the back line. This was one of the reasons why Alfred Gislason chosed to play in attack with two pivots instead of a usual formation with three backs. And it worked very good in the right moment.
The visitors had a 6 goal margin after 37 minutes (20:14), but they ruined it fastly. The hosts reduced three times the difference until two goals (20:18/41., 21:19/42., 22:20/44.). It was the moment when Gislason let both pivots play and they set the difference: 25:20/46., and 29:22/52. In the end, Metalurg managed to came closer to five goals, 30:25.
Statistics
Metalurg Skopje - THW Kiel: 25:30 (12:15)
Metalurg Skopje: Brestovac (for 2 7m shots, no save), Ristovski (1.-60., 8 save); Zivkovic (1), S. Stoilov (1), Lazarov (3), Stanojevic (1), Mirkulovski (2), Nedanovski, Gjorgonovski (2), M. Stoilov, Maljcev (6), Canturia (1), Jovic (2/1), Smigic (6); Coach: Shundovski
THW Kiel: Omeyer (1.-60., 15/3 save); Wessig, Andersson (4), Lundström (5), Kavticnik (8/5), Anic (4), Lövgren (didn´t play), Ahlm (5), Zeitz (1), Klein, Jicha (3); Trainer: Gislason
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