Clear Györ win in top match, first triumph for Valcea

Györ took a huge step towards the semi-finals of the Women´s EHF Women´s Champions League, as they managed to win the top match against the only other undefeated team in Group 1, Larvik HK as clearly as 24:18 on away ground. In Group 2, Oltchim Valcea got their first main round points, as they left Zvezda Zvenigorod last in the group through a 29:25 home win.

Group 1:
Larvik HK vs. Györi Audi ETO 18:24 (8:10)

Györ took a huge step towards the semi-finals through this clear win in a full Arena Larvik which had been sold out since Friday at noon. At the end it was the many Hungarian fans among the 4,900 spectators who had reason to celebrate, but they had suffered quite a lot, before it came that far, as the home team had the upper hand for the first part of the match.

The game was a duel between two legendary Norwegian goalkeepers, Cecilie Leganger from Larvik and Katrine Lunde Haraldsen from Györ, and they put their marks on the game.37 year old Leganger got the far better start to that duel, and it took the visitors 6 minutes and 30 seconds to even get the ball past her – and as Jovanka Radicevic scored her team´s first goal, Larvik had already scored three times.

The home team cruised to a 6:2 lead after 13 minutes, but after a team time-out at that point, Györ started to get into the game. However, the hosts kept the upper hand throughout the first half which they won by two. From the start of the second half, though, Györ and left back Andrea Lekic in particular had found the key to open the Norwegian defence, and this way it also became easier for the guests to score on Leganger.

At the other end of the court, Lunde Haraldsen raised her level, on the other hand, and as the second half progressed she became practically impossible to get the ball past.

These factors resulted in a dramatic change of the game from the middle of the second half, where eight Hungarian goals in succession change the score from 17:16 for Larvik into 23:17 in the favour of Györ. This obviously decided the match.

Györ are now leading Group 1 with six points after three matches, with Larvik in second position, two points after. Buducnost and Randers, who are both without points meet Sunday.

Group 2:
Oltchim Rm. Valcea vs. Zvezda Zvenigorod 29:25 (16:16)

Oltchim Valcea may still hope for the semi-finals after having booked their first points in the main round, while things are beginning to look really gloomy for Zvezda Zveningorod who are still without a point in the group after Saturday evening´s match in Valcea.

During the entire first half, both teams seemed to be more interested in attacking than in defending, and the 2,873 spectators witnessed 30 entertaining minutes, played at high pace and with a lot of goals.

Both teams were equally good at this aspect of the game, and although the hosts had the lead most of the time, the first half also ended equal, 16:16. In the second half the match turned into a more tactical affair, and at the same time it became more nervous due to the fact that neither team could really afford a defeat.

Valcea were better at controlling the nerves, and at the same time they managed to tighten their defence, so after an equal start to the second half, team home team managed to not only take the lead again, but also to increase it to five goals before finally winning the match by four. The two undefeated teams in the group, FTC Rail Cargo Hungaria and RK Krim Mercator will carry out their top match Sunday.