Presov earn big win in Lisbon as Chupryna steals the show

Slavko Goluza earned a precious win with his team in Lisbon on Saturday night, which shuffles the pack in Group C even more as Presov go level with Sporting CP and Bjerringbro-Silkeborg with eight points each, with the Danish side playing on Sunday afternoon.

• Sporting CP lose second consecutive home game in the VELUX EHF Champions League
• on the contrary Presov are perfect on the road with three wins in three matches
• Igor Chupryna makes big impact with 38 per cent save success
• Carlos Ruesga tops the scorers list with eight goals

GROUP C
Sporting CP (POR) vs TATRAN Presov (SVK) 26:28 (11:14)

The Slovakian champions started the match in a full swing, as they managed to eliminate their opponent's biggest weapon in their previous encounter – Frankis Carol scored 10 in Presov but failed to build on his performance with just two goals today. Carlos Ruesga stepped in but even his eight goals and 72% efficiency were not enough for Sporting to earn points.

Aggressive 6-0 and 5-1 defences from Presov with the three “big“ boys in the middle – Oliver Rábek, Michal Kasal, Roman Tsarapkin worked well, while the reliable Igor Chupryna between the posts offered plenty of support for Slavko Goluza’s men.

Dominik Krok marked his return after a long injury of his right thumb with three goals but his impact on the court was definitely a boost for Presov, especially since Lukás Urban remains side lined.

Similar to the first match, Presov played with fire in the second half, but Igor Chupryna stole the show, helping them survive dull moments in attack.

Opposition fans and players alike looked perplexed by Chupryna’s saves, his unorthodox style of goalkeeping may look funny at times, but its unpredictability worked in his favour.

Sporting CP were inconsistent throughout and whenever they got back within reach, they  made a number of technical errors or failed to take their chances.

A win for Presov means both teams are on eight points together with Bjerringbro-Silkeborg, who have a game in hand against Besiktas on Sunday.