Kolding humble the champions, easy win for Barcelona

KIF Kolding København delivered the sensation of the day in Group B, as they defeated reigning VELUX EHF Champions League winners SG Flensburg-Handewitt 35:21 at home.

Unlike Flensburg, FC Barcelona lived up to their status as favourites with a relatively easy 38:28 in Sweden against Alingsas HK.

VELUX EHF Champions League Group B

KIF Kolding København (DEN) vs SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) 35:21 (19:13)

KIF Kolding København had central defender Lars Jørgensen back from a two-week break after a concussion, meaning that the hosts were in their strongest outfit, something they never had in their VELUX EHF Champions League campaign last season.

However, Jørgensen was not even needed, as Kolding defeated ruling VELUX EHF Champions League winners SG Flensburg-Handewitt with amazing 35:21 scoreline.

A strong defence in front of an impressive Kasper Hvidt in goal, combined a fluent and inventive attacking play put KIF in front from the start in the Tre For Arena in Kolding.

Hvidt’s many saves gave his team a lot of counter attacks which his teammates definitely understood how to make use of.

However, also the established attacking play from the home team was at an extremely high level throughout the 60 minutes.

After KIF had won the first half by six goals, a considerably more aggressive Flensburg approach was expected after the break.

However, the visitors’ hopes were soon extinguished by a Kolding team which was extremely solid and consistent on a day which also showed that Kim Andersson finally seems to be back at almost full strength after his long-lasting shoulder problems. The Swedish right back scored five in a game where the right side of the Kolding attack was particularly strong, as another left-hander Kasper Irming scored seven goals.

“We were never dreaming of such a big win, but we had a very good start to the game and we benefitted from that as the match proceeded,” Kasper Irming told the Danish TV station DR after the triumph.

However, I felt that Flensburg gave up a bit in the second half and I was a bit surprised by that, as that is not like them. The result may lie a little, as we definitely got some easy goals towards the end,” Irming added.

Alingsas HK (SWE) vs FC Barcelona (ESP) 28:38 (16:21)

Even without line player Cedric Sorhaindo and right wing Victor Tomas, FC Barcelona did not have much trouble taking a ten-goal win in Alingsas.

“Handball is a party, and we are all invited,” said a banner in the Estra of Alingsas. Barcelona accepted the invitation and made the afternoon quite entertaining for the spectators.

In a match which the Barcelona players obviously found it more fun to attack then to defend, the Swedish champions were only able to follow them until the score was 6:6. From then on, Barcelona opened a gap which was at five goals by half-time and was continuously extended during the second half, until the gap was doubled at the end.

A direct red card for Barca left back Siarhei Rutenka with four minutes left did not change anything about that.

Alingsas goalkeeper Rickard Frisk celebrated some kind of personal success, though, saving penalty shots from Kiril Lazarov as well as from Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson and Siarhei Rutenka.

Danish line player Jesper Nøddesbo scored nine times for Barcelona, while playmaker Jesper Konradsson found the net five times for Alingsas.