2025-09-30 18:00

We prepared with great motivation and determination for our semifinal clash against SC Magdeburg, a team to whom we certainly had something to prove after this year’s encounters. The organizers did not manage to attract many spectators for this game, so the semifinal started in a quieter atmosphere than usual.

Magdeburg began the match with the first attack. Our defensive wall consisted of Cindric, Zein, Marguc, Martinovic, Petrus, and Pechmalbec, with Corrales in goal and Elísson waiting on the bench.

The match opened with a goalkeeping showcase: both Hernandez and Corrales made crucial saves, before Martinovic scored the first goal of the game in the 3rd minute. Unfortunately, we then went more than ten minutes without finding the net, while the Germans dominated the play. Luckily, thanks to their two missed penalties and our solid defense, they could not extend their lead beyond 3–1. By the 12th minute we equalized at 3–3. Corrales was in outstanding form, well supported by the defense in front of him, but in attack we struggled to break down the Magdeburg wall. Our pivots were not finding the right positions, forcing us to rely on long-range shots — mostly under pressure, on Magdeburg’s terms. In the 19th minute we fell behind again by three (5–8), as the Germans punished every mistake we made.

After 15 minutes, the substitutions arrived: Elísson, Remili, and ElDeraa entered the court. Magdeburg also rotated, which slowed down their attack, while we regrouped and caught up at 9–9, making use of our three left-handed players. However, Martinovic’s two-minute suspension late in the half gave the Germans another edge, and we went into halftime two goals behind: 9–11.

We began the second half with the starting lineup back on court. With great energy and enthusiasm, we pushed forward, closing the gap to one goal at 11–12 thanks to ElDeraa. Then came Ali Zein’s minutes: he played in superb form while our defense raised the level even higher. In the 41st minute, we attacked for the lead and Zein’s goal finally put us ahead. Riding this wave, we gradually increased the margin, with ElDeraa making it 19–15 — a four-goal lead. We played smart, well-organized attacks while keeping our defense rock solid.

The closing minutes brought the kind of tight finish typical of Veszprém–Magdeburg clashes. Three minutes before the end we went down to a two-minute suspension, but we still managed to win that decisive phase. Our willpower and fighting spirit proved stronger. Hugo Descat’s penalty gave us a three-goal cushion and sealed the victory — and with it, a place in the final.

Final score: 23–20.
Man of the Match: Luka Cindric!

One Veszprém – SC Magdeburg 23–20 (9-11)

One Veszprém HC: Appelgren, Corrales – Petrus, Martinovic 2, Descat 2, Elísson 1, Ligetvári, Marguc, Cindric 2, Remili 2, ElDeraa 4, Pechmalbec, Gáncs-Pető, Adel 5, Molnár, Zein 5.
SC Magdeburg: Hernandez, Mandic – Claar 4, Zechel, Kristjansson 4, Pettersson, Magnusson 1, Hornke 5, Jonsson 1, Weber, Lagergren 1, Mertens 2, Saugstrup 2, O’Sullivan, Barthold, Bergendahl.

Suspensions: 8 minutes vs. 4 minutes
Penalties: 1/1 vs. 7/9

STATEMENTS

XAVIER PASCUAL
This is one of those days when, as a coach, you are not only proud of your team – it means much more than that. Despite all our problems and with so many new players, it didn’t matter, because what my players put in today – their hearts, their souls – was absolutely incredible. For me, this is not about a title, it’s something we have to learn from. If this team is capable of doing this, then we can achieve a lot. Because when we talk about humility, it’s not about tactics, not about defense or attack. It’s about who truly wants to win, who truly wants to fight. And in the second half, I saw fire in my players’ eyes. As a coach, that’s an amazing feeling. This is what I would like to see every single time. I know it’s difficult, but today, if there was just one coach in the world who could be happy, then it’s me. I am extremely happy with this team today. Incredible. I am proud of them with all my heart. Thank you.

YEHIA ELDERAA
I’m very happy that we won this match. I’m glad we reached the final, that we can defend our title, and it’s a special joy to do it here in my homeland, among my friends. As a player, I feel that we can continue to grow and improve. We’ve been working for two months to be here and to win this match. But I also see that today I only gave half of what I can do – I’m capable of double that. This truly shows who we are as a team. Personally, I want to share that I want to give even more than this. I want the rest of the season to be even better. Thank you to everyone.

#RedUnited #HandballCity #StrongerTogether

MEGOSZTÁS