Thüringer clinch EHF Finals ticket despite close loss to Nykøbing

QUARTER-FINALS, SECOND LEG

Thüringer HC (GER) vs Nykøbing Falster Håndbold (DEN) 36:37 (18:22)

Thüringer HC progress on aggregate (67:64) in the tie
Top scorers: Johanna Reichert 15/23 (Thüringer HC); Clara Lerby 11/14 (Nykøbing Falster Håndbold)

• the visitors did not let the reigning champions take the lead in the first half, with NFH even boasting a six-goal lead (9:15) in the 17th minute
• Mia Svele scored an incredible buzzer-beater ahead of the half-time break to give Nykøbing a four-goal (22:18) advantage and thus take the Danish club level in the tie
• Thüringer's Johanna Reichert and Nykøbing's Clara Lerby scored seven goals each in the first half
• Anne Christine Bossen displayed an excellent performance, as the NFH goalkeeper made 18 saves at 34 per cent save efficiency
• Nykøbing Falster Håndbold were applauded by their own fans after the final whistle, who made the trip from Denmark to Germany to support their favourites

A win for Nykøbing, but a celebration for Thüringer

The EHF European League Women runners-up from 2022/23, Nykøbing Falster Håndbold, began the match on the front foot, with the Danish club chasing a five-goal win to eliminate Thüringer HC's advantage from the first leg. Aggressive in defence and efficient in attack, the inspired Niels Agesen's squad displayed a ruthless performance in the first half and caught the reigning champions by surprise, resulting in a comfortable lead at half-time (22:18).

Just like in the first leg, Herbert Müller's squad turned up in the second half, as Johanna Reichert and her teammates improved both defensively and offensively to tie (26:26) the match in the 40th minute. Subsequently, as the minutes went by, the pressure was growing on Nykøbing, but, ultimately, Thüringer HC's experience and hard-earned advantage from the first leg proved too big for the visitors, who secured a victory but not a place at the EHF Finals Women 2026.

Photos © Christian Heilwagen