Buducnost in seventh heaven after beating Leipzig

The Montenegrin powerhouse earned their seventh consecutive win in the Women’s EHF Champions League with an impressive display.

On the flip side this was Leipzig’s worst defeat ever on this stage since they lost at the hands of Buducnost in 1998, 33:20. This huge defeat was, unfortunately for the German runners-up, mirrored on the court on Saturday.

This result means that Vardar are now sure of a ticket to the quarter-final.

GROUP 1

HC Leipzig (GER) vs Buducnost (MNE) 19:32 (6:15)

The higher they are, the harder they fall is an idiom that perfectly mirrors Leipzig’s progress in Group 1.

After the German side shocked Vardar in the third round and boosted their chances of progressing to the next phase, Norman Rentsch’s team failed to impress today.

A run of four consecutive defeats, the last at the hands of last year’s European top flight finalist Buducnost, means that Leipzig need a miracle against Thüringer in the last round to progress.

However, the German runners-up will need to dramatically improve their game, which lacked physicality, drive and the winning mentality that Buducnost brought to the table in abundance.

It was another example of Buducnost’s astonishing defence, which set up unstoppable counterattacks.

The Montenegrin display was nothing short of flawless, their key contributors peaking at the right time.

As Neagu and Knezevic were launching devastating shots from the nine-meter line, Petrovic and Mehmedovic enjoyed their clear-cut chances resulting from fast breaks to deliver a nine-goal advantage for Buducnost at half-time (15:6).

Leipzig’s woes continued in the second half, as the Germans scored only three goals in the first 13 minutes.

While the guests tinkered with their roster, Leipzig failed to change the outcome, as they were drubbed 32:19 by Buducnost.



Both Karolina Kudlacz and Cristina Neagu scored nine goals for their sides - continuing their battle for the top scorer title.

While Buducnost extended its mammoth lead at the helm of the group to seven points, Leipzig’s slim faith is now out of their hands.

They will progress to the quarter-finals only if they, firstly, if Thüringer lose against Dinamo-Sinara on Sunday and, secondly, if they avenge their home defeat against their German counterparts (25:34) next week.