Nils Lichtlein had to take a deep breath before he could smile. Of course, with the 34:28 win against the Kadetten Schaffhausen late on Tuesday evening, the Füchse had secured their place in the quarter-finals after their first leg win. But that took some effort. “Those were two tough games in which we weren’t able to make as many changes as we wanted,” summed up the 21-year-old, who was a significant factor in Berlin’s victory, not just because of his seven goals.
Because the middle man always managed to skillfully analyze the opponent’s open defense perfectly, look for his gaps – or create them himself with his quick start. And if he wasn’t able to score a goal himself, he usually found the right passer next to him in the backcourt, hidden in the circle or diagonally in the outside position. Five more assists were added.
But the good performance also meant a lot of working time. While his teammates Mathias Gidsel and Lasse Andersson – who had previously played in defense – had already taken a seat on the bench, while the other positions had also been changed diligently because the lead had meanwhile increased to nine goals, Lichtlein continued to stand up the field. “It’s a little more difficult in the final phase. But actually I’m grateful for every minute I get,” said the left-hander diplomatically, although he would also have gratefully accepted the odd break.
It will be at least as important to win there as against Schaffhausen. And we don’t have a lead from the first leg to help us.
Nils Lichtlein for the upcoming Bundesliga game in Göttingen
Because April is still tough for Berliners. On the one hand, things continue in the European Cup, where HBC Nantes will have to be overcome on April 23rd and 30th – the very opponent that caused a bad end to the competition two years ago – if it is for the defending champions the move into the Final Four should work.
But first it’s about the DHB Cup, whose final tournament on April 13th and 14th is already coming into focus. Not least because the fourth duel of this season is coming up in the semi-finals against Champions League winners SC Magdeburg. The Berliners have only been able to win once so far – the only time in the last four years.
And then, between all the cup euphoria, there is of course the German championship, where it could be the SCM again that can trip up the current leaders, even though the final spurt in the league will only be played via remote duel. But while the people of the Elbe city can enjoy a few days without playing, the people of Berlin will have Frisch Auf! on Thursday evening (7 p.m. / Dyn). Göppingen is already hosting its third encounter in five days. Especially since the game against the twelfth place in the table won’t be an easy one. The 29:29 first leg result in December in our own hall alone shows this.
“It will be at least as important to win there as against Schaffhausen. And we don’t have a lead from the first leg to help us,” said Lichtlein. He knows that the coming weeks will be exhausting – but the clear goal is to continue to leave the hall with a smile.