Plock cannot stop Flensburg’s hunger for goals

The top duel of Barcelona versus PSG was the highest-scoring match of VELUX EHF Champions League 2016/17 Group A with 67 goals (35:32 for the Catalans), before Sunday’s 37:30 victory for Flensburg at Orlen Wisla Plock levelled the record. 

In their first international match since coach Ljubomir Vranjes announced his transfer to Veszprem after this season, Flensburg passed the Hungarian side on the table ranking thanks to their fifth win. 

Plock were chanceless against the waves of counter attacks employed by the German side, but still have their goal of reaching the Last 16 within reach. 

• After Kiel and Rhein-Neckar Löwen won their Round 10 matches, Flensburg complete the perfect Champions League weekend for Bundesliga clubs with an away victory against Plock

• For the first time in the current group phase, Flensburg score more than 30 goals

• With eleven points and one less match played, Flensburg can only mathematically miss the Last 16

• Plock are defeated by Flensburg in VELUX EHF Champions League matches for the fourth time in a row – but remain in sixth position

• Serbian wing Bogdan Radivojevic was the top scorer with nine goals, and goalkeeper Kevin Möller was also a key to success

GROUP A
Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) vs SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) 30:37 (16:18)

The first half was simply run and gun, as very few attacks lasted longer than 10 or 15 seconds. Flensburg took the upper hand when their Serbian left back Petar Djordjic was on fire – his goal for the 10:5 lead in minute 13 was his fifth from as many attempts. 

Plock coach Piotr Przybecki took one of the earliest time-outs of the Champions League season after only 4:16 minutes with the score at 0:2. But it took a while – and a change of defensive tactics – before the Polish runners-up bridged the gap. 

Using Portuguese Gilberto Duarte as a ‘sweeper’ in front of the defence, Przybecki found the perfect means. Flensburg caused a series of turnovers, and Plock grabbed the chance to score from a wave of counter attacks. 

Five minutes before the half-time buzzer the deficit had decreased to 13:14, and the Oilers even had the chance to turn the match around completely. But one man stood strong against this plan: Flensburg goalkeeper Kevin Möller, who literally saved the day for the German visitors. “Kevin played outstanding,” said Vranjes, who also praised the fast match play: “This was a match well worth seeing, our counter attacks were simply brilliant.”

Like in the initial stages of the first half, Flensburg started the second period furiously and extended the gap to 22:17 after only four and a half minutes, causing another early time-out from the hosts. But this time, the 2014 Champions League winners were well prepared – the number of mistakes remained low, Möller shut up his shop, and Flensburg easily forged ahead in the international debut of 17-year-old right back Jannek Klein, who replaced injured Swede Johan Jakobsson.

Backed by the counter-attack goals of Radivojevic and Swede Hampus Wanne, Flensburg sealed the deal when the score was 29:22 in minute 43. 

“We have beaten Kiel in the Bundesliga, we took the hurdle in Plock in style, and now we are really hungry to face Paris next Saturday,” said Möller to German TV station SKY.