Both Buducnost and SCM Ramnicu Valcea had not played a match in the DELO EHF Champions League for nearly a month, and obviously they were delighted to be back in action.

However, the Montenegrin side had more reasons to be happy after the final buzzer, as Buducnost narrowly won 29:28 in an extremely nerve-wracking and exciting encounter.

GROUP B
Buducnost (MNE) vs SCM Ramnicu Valcea (ROU) 29:28 (15:14)

• after three straight defeats at the start of the competition, Buducnost have been unbeaten in their last three matches and now have five points
• Valcea suffered their fifth consecutive defeat and remain the only side in the DELO EHF Champions League with no points
• Buducnost were dominant early in the game, leading 6:2 by the 13th minute
• their goalkeeper Armelle Attingré, who recorded six saves in the first half, also spectacularly scored from her own half
• the Romanian side took their first lead at 21:20 in the 38th minute and were in front for much of the second half, but ultimately came up short as Marta Lopez hit the post a few seconds from full-time

Lekic takes things under her control

As Buducnost struggled in the second half, it was one of their most experienced players, Andrea Lekic, whose impact helped the home side to weather the storm.

By netting seven times, the 33-year-old became Buducnost’s top scorer, and her goals helped the Montenegrin side to regain their confidence and ultimately win.