HYPO DOMINATE AT HOME

It was clear to most that Hypo had already won their group before that last game against Kometal. For Skopje, they still needed points if they were to snatch third place and go on to play in the EHF Cup. However, on the day, it was a different story altogether – the host decimated their long-standing rivals by winning 34:24.

The playing hall in the Südstadt was packed to the rafters as 2000 spectators came to watch the last game of this group stage, but from the start, the match was entirely one-sided. Hypo took an 8:0 lead after seven minutes and dominated the game from the very first minute on; this was despite having two key players, Sun Hee Han and Gorica Acimovic out due to injury and illness. By halftime, they had managed to extend their lead to 20:7.

After the break, Hypo made the most of their advantageous position: with Vivien Lerant, Lina Simkunaite, Isabel Plach and Sabrina Thurner thrown into their first European game, Coach Andras Nemeth gave some of the promising youth talents a first taste of the Champions League. As for HC Kometal Gjorce Petrov, desperate to minimise the score, only Valentina Radulovic managed to play well in the second half. In the end it was a very disappointing 24:34 demolition for the Macedonian side, leaving them fourth in the table and out of the European cup.

"From the first minute we showed our determination to win this game", said Hypo-captain Dani Piedade after the win, "it was very nice to beat the old rivals in this way!"