First EHF Cup point ever for Eskilstuna

Eskilstina Guif got their first point ever in and EHF Cup group match, as they drew 24:24 in a dramatic home game against group phase debutants Balatonfüred Saturday.

MT Melsungen took their second win in succession, winning 28:25 away against RK Nexe, while Gorenje Velenje got the their first points through convincing 34:21 at home against Haslum, and Team Tvis Holstebro stay undefeated after 34:28 against HCM Constants.

GROUP A

Gorenje Velenje (SLO) vs Haslum Handballklubb (NOR) 34:21 (18:13)

Velenje had their trouble with their Norwegian adversaries for great parts of the first half, but at the end, the Slovenian hosts managed to not only take their first points in the group phase, but also doing so with the largest win in the phase so far.

Haslum did their best to stun the hosts from the start, being four goals ahead several times, but already before half-time did Velenje turn the tables.

A 9:5 lead for Haslum was changed to 16:12 for Velenje who increased the distance to five goals before half time.

After the break, the visitors moved a bit closer, as they reduced to 23:20, but the home team won the last quarter of an hour as big as 11:1, booking a 13-goal win at the end.

Group B

Team Tvis Holstebro (DEN) vs HCM Constanta (ROU) 34:28 (17:16)

Holstebro coach Klavs Bruun Jørgensen should be able to tell his players how to defeat Constanta, as he had considerably good experiences against the Romanian champions.

On 22 October 2006, Jørgensen scored eight goals against Constanta for his team at that time, GOG, in the EHF Champions League Group Phase.

This time, it was Constanta with six players from that game, who got the better start, though, taking an early 5:1 lead.

After an early timeout, the home team got back into the game and got full contact at 6:6. After 13 and a half minute, then, left wing Magnus Bramming gave the hosts their first lead at 8:7. One goal in favour of Holstebro was also the situations at half time, when the score was 17:16.

In the second half, then, Team Tvis Holstebro left no doubt, but virtually cruised to a six goal win.

Group D

Eskilstuna Guif (SWE) vs Balatonfüredi (HUN) 24:24 (13:11)

Eskilstuna got the first point ever in the EHF Cup Group Phase, having gone the group phase of the 2012-13 tournament without a single point.

Obviously, it was also the first point for Balatonfüred who are in their first group phase in the competition.

For most of the match it was Eskilstuna seemingly heading for the first win ever in an EHF Cup group match.

The hosts were leading by four goals several times in both halves, but with 39 second left, Balazs Szölllösi equalised to 23:23.

With 11 seconds left, Daniel Pettersson gave Eskilstuna the lead again at 24:23, but with the final buzzer, Tamas Ivancsik benefitted from a penalty shot to secure the visitors one point.

“We did not make a good enough performance to take both points” was the comment from Eskilstuna coach Kristján Andrésson.

RK Nexe (CRO) vs MT Melsungen (GER) 25:28 (12:13)

Melsungen took their second win, as they won the early top game in Group D away against Nexe by three goals.

Both teams had won the first match of the group phase, but while Melsungen had won relatively modestly by four at home against Eskilstuna, Nexe had won by 12 away against Balatonfüred.

However, in front of 2,000 spectators in Nasice, Melsungen were in charge from the start.

The Bundesliga team soon got ahead by four goals, and even though the home team managed to reduce the distance to one goal at half time, it did not take the visitors long to tighten their grip again after the break.

For great parts of the second half, Melsungen were leading by four or five goals before finally winning by four.

“We won, and that was the important part. Winning away in the European Cup does not come from itself,” Melsungen coach Michael Roth said.