Hard-fought draw earns Dinamo play-off berth

Dinamo Bucuresti had to work hard before they finally managed to secure the ticket to the elimination round of the VELUX EHF Champions League. With two minutes left, Dinamo were two goals down away against IFK Kristianstand but managed to secure the vital draw at the end.

• The draw was enough to earn Dinamo their ticket for the elimination matches.
• Kristianstad were leading 29:27 with two minutes left.
• Ante Kuduz scored six goals for Dinamo, while no less than eight players scored three each for Kristianstad.

GROUP D

IFK Kristianstad (SWE) vs C. S. Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) 29:29 (16:17)

In the end, Dinamo Bucuresti and their fans in the Kristianstad Arena can celebrate their ticket for the elimination matches next spring, but the Romanian champions had to fight hard for the draw, which was enough for them to seal their qualification with two matches left.

With just two minutes left, Kristianstad were leading 29:27, but Andrei Negu and Ante Kuduz secured the draw with a goal each in the dying minutes. In a high-scoring first half, in which the attacking players on both sides performed better than the defenders, the game was equal, until Dinamo seemed to be on their way to decide the matter with a 15:11 lead.

With four straight goals around the break, however, Kristianstad moved into a 19:17 lead, and for the rest of the match, the teams took turns at having the lead all the way to the exciting finish.

Kristianstad Coach Ljubomir Vranjes said: “We showed a great team spirit and moral today and I think the result was ok for both teams”.