Hypo win spectacular derby

Before the game, both teams praised the high speed handball played by the opponent. In the first half of the second group game between Hypo and Larvik, they also showed why.

The hosts took a perfect start to the game, getting an early 3:0 lead, but Larvik could keep the game open until the 16th minute. Then two 2-minute suspensions cost the Norwegian the game: in the first one Hypo extended their lead from 7:5 to 10:5, and during the next penalty the score changed to 13:6. The team of András Németh went to break with a 18:12 lead.

In the second half Hypo paid a price for the high speed as Larvik came back with a few goals - 21:17 after 38 minutes, 24:21 after 44 minutes. Again three minutes proved to make a difference: from that point on, Acimovic & Co. extended their lead again to a comfortable seven-goal lead - 31:27 was the final score.

Hypo made the perfect start to this competition with two wins out of two and made a giant step towards reaching the next group stage.

"The tempo in the first half was brilliant,” said Hypo’s manager, Gunnar Prokop after the game. "If we can keep this up for whole 60 minutes, we have a real chance of winning the Champions League," he said.

Team captain Dani Piedade added: "We are unbeatable at home!"