Record-setting win moves Bjerringbro to top of Group C

Bjerringbro-Silkeborg threw off their VELUX EHF Champions League season in style, with a commanding win over Chekhovskie Medvedi on their home court on Sunday afternoon.

The Danish side led the game from start to finish, thanks to an impressive offensive performance that saw them score 39 goals – a new high-scoring record for Bjerringbro in the top European competition. The record is two goals more than their previous top performance, set against Kadetten Schaffhausen two seasons ago.

• 24-year-old right wing Johan Plogv Hansen tallies 14 goals, becoming the top scorer of the competition
• Bjerringbro-Silkeborg come close to topping their biggest win in the competition: a 12-goal success against another Russian opponent, St. Petersburg, in 2012
• The Danish side are now on top of the group and will meet TATRAN Presov next week

GROUP C
Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN) vs Chekhovskie Medvedi (RUS) 39:28 (21:16)

A high number of goals were expected between two sides with free-flowing styles, but even the most optimistic previews were obliterated after Bjerringbro-Silkeborg and Chekhovskie combined for 37 goals after 30 minutes.

The Russian side managed to keep the rhythm for only five minutes, as the hosts’ high-octane fast breaks were too much. With right wing Johan a Plogv Hansen in superb form, scoring at will in the first 30 minutes, the Danish side jumped to a healthy 11:7 lead.

With 80% scoring efficiency in the first half, Bjerringbro-Silkeborg cruised to a 21:16 advantage after the first 30 minutes, while Chekhovskie had defensive trouble and failed to contain their opponents.

When left wing Stefan Hundstrup scored Bjerringbro-Silkeborg’s 1000th Champions League goal, the hosts were already leading by five, 26:21 – and had little trouble extending it further, 31:23, after 47 minutes.

As the gap widened, Chekhovskie collapsed and had no answer for the hosts, who signed off with an 11-goal victory – their second biggest ever in the VELUX EHF Champions League.

"It is always special playing against Chekhovskie Medvedi. We played against them before, when it was players from the national team. So we see a lot of talent, but we were able to play our best game and had some big profiles in the offence – Johan Hansen especially, with 14 goals," said Bjerringbro coach Peter Bredsdorff-Larsen. "We were very happy with the game and the start we gave ourselves in the group. We are chasing place one or two in the group phase, and we have some difficult games ahead."