The debutants who know to handle German opponents

Just like hosts THW Kiel in the other semi-final, FC Porto Sofarma are debutants at the AKQUINET EHF Cup Finals.

However, facing a German team in Germany will not intimidate Porto, as they have already eliminated one Bundesliga team from the competition this season.

In Qualification Round 3 for the group phase, SC Magdeburg fell against the impressive Portuguese side. FC Porto went on to send last year’s losing finalists Saint-Raphael Var out of the tournament in the quarter-final.

This Friday, Porto are up against the defending EHF Cup champions, Füchse Berlin – a team with proud traditions in this particular competition.

In fact, the team from the Fuchsbau neighbourhood in the German capital are in their fifth final tournament within the last six years, missing out only in 2015/16. They have also won the EHF Cup twice, in 2015 and last year.

However Füchse are up against a coach who knows better than most what it takes to win the EHF Cup.

Porto’s Swedish head coach Magnus Andersson has won the competition twice already, taking German side Frisch Auf Göppingen to the title in 2016 and 2017. In 2017, Frisch Auf beat none other than Porto’s semi-final opponents Füchse in the final.

That will be comfort for the debutants as they head to the AKQUINET EHF Cup Finals for the first time.

SEMI-FINAL
Füchse Berlin (GER) vs FC Porto Sofarma (POR)
Friday 17 May 20:45hrs local time, live on ehftv.com

• Füchse are defending Men’s EHF Cup winners, chasing their third triumph in all
• Füchse are at the EHF Cup final tournament for the fifth time in the last six years
• Porto are debutants at the AKQUINET EHF Cup Finals
• Besides THW Kiel, Porto are the only team to have won all their group matches