TALKING POINTS: It was all about the final minutes in the fifth round of the VELUX EHF Champions League Group Phase. We take a look at the last-minute action.
Beating the buzzer in Round 5
Last-second heroes, buzzer-beating results and plenty of drama are the perfect combination to create a thrilling handball experience. No less than four games in Round 5 of the VELUX EHF Champions League Group Phase ended with a draw – and there were certainly heroes and drama in these thrilling encounters.
Gasper Marguc – Telekom Veszprém HC
It was a match full of spectacle when PGE Vive Kielce and Telekom Veszprém HC faced each other in the Group B rematch of the historic VELUX EHF Champions League 2015/16 Final.
After Karol Bielecki scored from a penalty for Kielce to take a 32:31 lead with seconds to go, Gasper Marguc found the goal in Veszprém’s final attack. Marguc’s equaliser was followed by a failed shot against an empty goal from Kielce, and the teams were forced to divide the points thanks to a 32:32 draw.
Mattias Andersson – SG Flensburg-Handewitt
The clash between THK Kiel and SG Flensburg-Handewitt, two German powerhouses in Group B, was an interesting one. The final result of 20:20 is the lowest score between the sides since the German Super Cup in 2000.
In contrast with the buzzer-beating goal in Kielce, it was goalkeeper Mattias Andersson who was the hero for Flensburg. Andersson saved Niclas Ekberg’s effort in the last seconds of the game to keep the score level.
Mihajlo Radojkovic – Besiktas Mogaz HT
It also came down to the buzzer in Turkey, where Besiktas Mogaz HT secured a draw against HC Motor Zaporozhye in Group D.
After being three goals down at half-time (14:17), an equaliser from Mihajlo Radojkovic in the last seconds secured a point for Besiktas (28:28).
Siarhei Shylovich and Iven Pesic – Meshkov Brest
The second draw of the round also saw a thrilling end, when RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko finished with an equal result, 33:33, against Meshkov Brest. It was Celje’s home debut in their pink shirts for their breast cancer awareness campaign.
Celje had a three-goal lead at the break, but found it hard to beat Ivan Pesic between the posts during the last minutes of the game. In the end, it was Siarhei Shylovich who had the last say for Brest, when he equalised with just over one minute remaining.
Although there were plenty of goals in this thrilling match, the final strike surely stood out.
TEXT:
Andri Yrkill Valsson / cg