Celje beat Medvedi to rekindle Last 16 hopes

A must-win game for both sides produced a classic on the outskirts of Moscow as Russian champions Chekovskie Medvedi and Slovenian title holders Celje Pivovarna Lasko treated fans in Chekov to vastly entertaining action in an absolute rollercoaster.

The lead changed hands time and again as several players stood out with lethal shooting while Celje goalkeeper Matevz Skok swung the balance his team’s way with 11 saves, many of them in a frantic finish when the Slovenian side conjured the final twist with a 6:0 run.

The result means Celje have clawed their way back into contention for a Last 16 berth after the opening two defeats while winless Medvedi have a mountain to climb if they are to avoid an early exit after three successive defeats.

GROUP C
Chekovskie Medvedi (RUS) vs RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko (SLO) 30:35 (15:17)

The third meeting between these two sides finished just like the last two, as Celje came out on top in a thrilling match which kept fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

The flurry of goals at both ends was engineered by incisive attacking rather than poor defending, with the rivals taking turns in ripping out each other with crisp passing and prolific finishing.

Medvedi raced into a 4:2 lead but Celje quickly turned the tide and carved out a 15:10 advantage in the closing stages of the first half as centre back Miha Zarabec tormented the Russian outfit with his playmaking skills as much as with his unstoppable shots.

Croatian left back Ivan Sliskovic was also on fire from the nine-metre line, but the home side roared back through Dmitry Kovalev and his namesake Zhitnikov who kept them afloat with their individual skill.

Medvedi turned the tide and took a 20:19 lead as they changed their 6-0 defence to 5-1 in an effort to stifle out Zarabec and their strategy paid dividends until the 55th minute, when they still had a one-goal advantage (30:29) heading into the home straight.

Skok then pulled off several superb saves while Sliskovic led the charge at the other end and finished as the game’s top scorer with nine goals as Celje netted six without reply to swing the match their way.

The outstanding Zarabec chipped in with eight goals, while right wing Blaz Janc and right wing David Miklavcic added five each for the winners. Kovalev and Zhitnikov scored eight apiece for Medvedi but their heroics were eventually futile as they lacked proper support.