Csurgo win debutants' duel

Csurgói KK got their first points in the EHF Cup group phase, as they won the duel European debutants' duel against TSV Hannover-Burgdorf as clearly as 36:28 after an impressive performance in the second half which the Hungarian hosts won with no less than 10 goals.

In the other match Wednesday night Pick Szeged booked their second win in succession, as they overcame a troublesome first half away against IFK Kristianstad to take a 26:23 with them from Sweden after all.

Group A
Csurgói KK (HUN) vs TSV Hannover-Burgdorf (GER) 36:28 (17:19)

Both teams are European debutants this season, and both teams had opened their group phase campaign with defeats.

That situation definitely changed for Csurgo, as they sent Bundesliga team TSV Hannover-Burgdorf back to Germany with a defeat of no less than 36:28 after an impressive performance by the hosts in the second half which Csurgo won by no less than 10 goals, 19:9.

In the first half, nothing was pointing towards a convincing Hungarian triumph, though. Apart from 1:0 for the home team, Hannover-Burgdorf were leading throughout the first 30 minutes, and several times even with three goals.

At half time, the away team were still leading by two goals, but the second half belonged completely to Csurgo.

After having scored four goals in succession, changing a 19:21 deficit into a 23:21 lead, the Hungarian team never really looked back, but went on increasing their lead until the eight goal difference at the end.

Left wing Akos Lele and Belarusian playmaker Barys Pukhouski scored eight goal each for Csurgo, while left wing Lars Lehnhoff's nine goals did not help the visitors.

While Csurgo took their first two points in the group phase, Hannover-Burgdorf are still left with zero points, already facing a rather desperate struggle to reach the quarter-finals.

Group C
IFK Kristianstad (SWE) vs. Pick Szeged (HUN) 23:26 (12:13)

The support from more than 4,000 spectators in the Kristianstad Arena was not enough for IFK to get their first points in the group phase.
Instead, the current number one in the Hungarian league Pick Szeged could fly home from Sweden with their second win out of two in Group C.

For great parts of the first half, the hosts seemed to be on their way to a triumph, though.

Kristianstad were leading with a goal or two for great parts of the time – and at one point even with three - but still Szeged managed to take a one goal lead with into the locker room, as the final whistle for the first half sounded.

In the second half, the visitors did not really leave anyone in doubt of the outcome.

Pick were leading by three or four goals almost all the time and finished by winning by three.

The result sends Pick Szeged on top of Group C with maximum points after two matches, while Kristianstad are still waiting for their first points in the group phase.

“We played much better in the defence than in our first match against Presov, but instead we had big problems in our attack this time, and we have to say that we were up against an extremely experienced team who benefitted particularly from their experience in the deciding moments of the match,” Kristianstad coach Ola Lindgren told eurohandball.com.