Löwen and Füchse set for intriguing semi-final

Shortly after the first finalists will be confirmed, Rhein-Neckar Löwen and Füchse will contest the second-semi final in a highly anticipated all-German clash that will close the opening day of the EHF Finals 2021 at SAP Arena on Saturday at 20:45 CEST.

Löwen as hosts might be seen by many in a favourites' role, but they lost a recent encounter with Füchse on home court in the Bundesliga.

A lot of attention will go to Swedish ace Kim Ekdahl du Rietz, who has come out of his year-long retirement to play the EHF Finals with Löwen.

Earlier Saturday, SC Magdeburg and Orlen Wisla Plock are scheduled to play the first semi-final.

SEMI-FINAL: 

Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER) vs Füchse Berlin (GER)
Saturday 22 May at 20:45 CEST, live on EHFTV

• three all-German semi-finals have been played in the EHF Cup since 2013, and each time the winner of that match went on to take the title: in 2013 Löwen beat Göppingen 28:22, in 2017 Göppingen beat Magdeburg 33:29, and in 2018 Füchse beat Göppingen 27:24
• Löwen lost their last three matches in the domestic Bundesliga, including a 27:24 home defeat against Füchse
• the two teams never met in an international competition before, but Löwen lead füchse in the head-to-head stats after 29 domestic duels - with 16 wins, four draws and nine defeats
• both teams played at the EHF FINAL4 once, but missed the final: Löwen in 2011, Füchse in 2012
• Füchse are record holders with their fifth appearance at the final tournament of Europe’s second-tier competition, after reaching the EHF Cup Finals in 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019, winning the trophy in 2015 and 2018
• Löwen won the first edition of the EHF Cup Finals in 2013 in Nantes, and can now become the first winners of the EHF Finals Men in their home arena
• Löwen are missing several long-term injured players, like goalkeeper Mikael Appelgren and defence specialists Ilija Abutovic and Jesper Nielsen, but captain Uwe Gensheimer is set to return after a long absence and Löwen surprise with the short-term arrival of Kim Ekdahl du Rietz
• after the season, Löwen coach Martin Schwalb will return to HSV Hamburg, the club he steered to the EHF Champions League title in 2013
• Füchse right wing Hans Lindberg, who won the EHF Champions League with Hamburg in 2013, can win his third European trophy with the club from Berlin
• Lindberg is Füchse’s best scorer in the EHF European League with 48 goals since the start of the group phase, while Swedish left wing Jerry Tollbring, who joins GOG in Denmark next season, leads for Löwen with 57