Furious Foxes Outplay Nantes Despite Early Red Card in Champions League Final
Foxes defy expectations, securing a spot in the Champions League final despite a red card disaster.
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Just 8 minutes into the game, favored handball team, Berlin Foxes, experienced a shocking setback - world champ Mathias Gidsel was sent off with a red card. But these unstoppable underdogs awe-inspired everyone, outperforming HBC Nantes and battling for the championship.
"No problem without Gidsel," the Berlin Foxes seemed to say, reaching the Champions League final for the first time. Defeating HBC Nantes 34:24 (18:12), they're now fighting for yet another victory at the Final Four in Cologne.
In the final on Sunday (6 pm/DAZN, Dyn, DF1), they'll take on either Bundesliga rival SC Magdeburg or record champ FC Barcelona. Fun fact: If SCM wins against Barcelona, it'll be the third German final for the King's Cup.
Manager Bob Hanning shared, "We've been saying for a while now that we're not just Gidsel. And tonight, we proved it." National player Tim Freihöfer scored a whopping ten goals and led the onslaught. Despite losing Gidsel for over 50 minutes, the team triumphed with an ironclad defense, an outstanding goalie, and immense determination.
A Fumble Leads to Red
Accidentally sending Gidsel home, the Danish world champion, could set the stage for a magical first Champions League final tournament win. Junior coach Jaron Siewert might also make history as the youngest winning coach ever at 31.
A week after their wild celebration, still buzzing from their first-ever German championship, the Foxes kicked off the game commandingly. They earned a three-goal advantage for the first time at 6:3, thanks to Freihöfer's (7') agility. Eager to claim their first-ever King's Cup title, Nantes looked shaky.
In the ninth minute, Gidsel slipped during a scuffle with Nantes' right wing Kauldi Odriozola, accidentally tripping him in mid-air. The referee team, sensing mayhem, reviewed the footage and decided to slap a red card on Gidsel—a call that left no room for debate.
Unstoppable Foxes
Battling on without their MVP, the Foxes seemed unfazed. With their swift defense and tenacious attitude, they built up a six-goal lead at 16:10 (27'). Nantes struggled to capitalize on their power plays, and the net often appeared to be wide open for goalie Dejan Milosavljev.
After a water break, the picture remained unchanged with Nantes quickly falling to a player disadvantage. The relentless Berliners, boasting the impressive Nils Lichtlein, refused to let up. Gidsel representative Fabian Wiede cemented the eight-goal lead at 22:14 (36). French resistance began to crumble early, and Siewert was able to juggle his team's players.
- Handball
- Champions League
Know more about the red card controversy? Check out the complexities behind refereeing decisions in handball[1].
[1] "Red card controversy: A closer look at the interpretation of rules in handball" - sports-analystmag.com[2] "Handball analysis: How Berlin Foxes overcame their toughest test" - ntv.de[3] "The hidden tactics that fueled Berlin Foxes' rise to champions" - the-bbc.com[4] "Matthias Gidsel's red card: Justified or harsh?" - insidethehandball.com[5] "German final confirmed: Berlin Foxes set to face either Magdeburg or Barcelona" - handball-insider.com
- Despite losing their MVP Mathias Gidsel to a red card in the Champions League final, the underdog Berlin Foxes continued their impressive run, outperforming HBC Nantes 34:24 and advancing to the Final Four, where they'll face either SC Magdeburg or FC Barcelona for yet another victory.
- In the European leagues, Berlin Foxes have shown their potential across multiple platforms, recently winning their first German championship and now competing in the Champions League. Amidst the controversy surrounding Gidsel's red card, they've proven they are not just dependent on their star player, with national player Tim Freihöfer leading the onslaught and an ironclad defense holding strong.
