THW Kiel is Pixum Super Cup champion after a long drama. In the end, it was Eric Johansson who was the hero of the match by scoring the decisive penalty.

It was very Swedish on the pitch when THE Kiel and Rhein-Neckar Löwen settled for the title in the Pixum Super Cup.

THW Kiel opened the scoring thanks to Eric Johansson and thanks to the brilliant play of Harald Reinkind, the “zebras” led 13-9 after 19 minutes. However, Rhein-Neckar Löwen finished the half significantly stronger and when Patrick Groetzki scored just before the break he leveled it at 16-16.

The second half was balanced, but it was Rhein-Neckar Löwen who seemed to have decided in the final minutes.

Despite trailing by two balls with two minutes to go, 31-33, Kiel remained calm and Patrick Wiencek managed to reduce the possession that followed. 15 seconds before the final whistle, Rhein-Neckar Löwen was awarded a penalty and Juri Knorr had the chance to win the title for the team.

However, Tomas Mrkva was a wall, as he had been throughout the match, and saved, giving THW Kiel one last chance. Niclas Ekberg seized it and equalized in the last attack of the game.

Mrkva was brilliant in the penalty shootout and eventually gave Eric Johansson the chance to decide the fight. The icy Swede put the ball into the net with rock-solid certainty and thus secured the title for THW Kiel.

The win was THW Kiel’s fourth in a row in the Super Cup.

THW Kiel scorers: H. Reinkind 8, P. Wiencek 8, N. Bilyk 6, N.Ekberg 3E. Ellefsen at Skipagotu 2, E. Johansson 2, K. Wallinius 2P. Overby 1, R. Dahmke 1

Rhein-Neckar Löwen scorers: J. Kohlbacher 7, P. Groetzki 7, J. Lindenchrone Andersen 5, J. Knorr 4, G. Davidsson 3P. Ahouansou 2, L. Zacharias 2, D. More 1, N. Kirkelokke 1, SP Jacobsen 1