Today, Sporting lost outside its stadium to German Rhein Neckar 32-29 in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the European Handball League, which leaves everything open for the decisive match next week in Lisbon.
After a balanced start, the home team excelled throughout the first half, as it reached the break with a five-goal lead (19-14), but the good response of the “Lions” in the second half of the match (13-15) allowed it to reduce the gap by three goals.
With 10 goals, Danish Kerkiloki was the top scorer for the German team, which ranks tenth in the German League, while Francisco Costa, the leader of the “Lions”, shined in the national championship with nine goals.
Sporting will host Rhein-Neckar next Tuesday, April 30, at 7:45 pm, at the Pavelhão João Rocha Stadium in Lisbon, looking for an unprecedented qualification to the “quarter-finals” of the competition.
Benfica are the only Portuguese team to have already lifted this European trophy in 2021/22, after Porto finished third in 2018/19.
In other “quarter” duels, the Germans from Flensburg-Handeut won by a large margin when they traveled to Savehof from Sweden (30-41), while the confrontations took place between the Romanians from Dinamo Bucharest and the Danes from Skierne (28-27). ) The Germans from Foch Berlin and the French from Nantes (33-33) were more balanced.
Melody Gross is a contributor at Brytfmonline.com, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is committed to delivering clear, accurate, and reader-focused reporting that helps audiences stay informed about current events and important developments. With a focus on useful information and balanced storytelling, Melody aims to present timely stories and relevant insights in a way that is accessible, engaging, and easy to understand.