CSM Bucuresti dominate MKS Selgros Lublin on debut

Except a 15-minute slip late in the second half, CSM were in control against the Polish champions throughout the match. A perfect mix of creative attack, unbeatable defence and experience saw the hosts ease past their counterparts to the top of Group D.

CSM Bucuresti (ROU) vs MKS Selgros Lublin (POL) 33:21 (14:13)

Raw emotions were there to be seen on the faces of CSM’s players before their debut game in the Women’s EHF Champions League.

Even an experienced team with players like Maria Fisker, Isabelle Gullden and Mayssa Pessoa were clearly nervous before the start of a historic first season in Europe's premier competition.

It took the Romanian champions three and a half minutes to score their first goal, but from then on there was no looking back.

Five consecutive goals scored by Martin and Fisker, CSM’s pacy wingers, were enough to establish the hosts as clear favourites to win the game.

Lublin had no answer in defence neither for Bucharest’s fast combinations, nor for Line Jörgensen’s powerful shots from right back, as the debutants were cruising to victory, leading by a five-goal margin, 12:7, after only 15 minutes.

But the game was turned on its head as the first half drew to a close, Bucharest only scored twice in the last 14 minutes, as CSM's coach, Kim Rasmussen, rotated the players.

Rasmussen said: "I am happy that the team won by a big margin, but I am disappointed that we played very good for only 45 minutes.

“It's something that we need to improve, the last 15 minutes of the first half were very bad."

Lublin quickly came back into contention trailing by just one goal at the break, 14:13.

Sadly for them though their resurgence was short lived.

After the break, the hosts employed their high octane game once again and built up a quick six-goal advantage, 21:15.

By the 41st minute, Cristina Varzaru, the former Women’s EHF Champions League top scorer, had managed to put five goals past the Polish defence.

Varzaru, who top scored in the match with six goals, said: "My dream is to win the Champions League with a Romanian team.

“We are very good individually, we only need to create better chemistry between us."

A visibly tired Lublin could simply not cope with the hosts’ power in the closing minutes of the game.

With a thinned roster of only 11 players, the Polish side collapsed, even allowing goalkeeper Jelena Grubisic to score from her own goal.

The final 33:21 scoreline was well deserved for Bucharest, who made their first step in the right direction towards competing in the Women's EHF FINAL4 in May.