Before the match in Moscow, Brest Bretagne Handball had hoped to extend their four-game winning run in the DELO EHF Champions League and take revenge on CSKA for what had been their only defeat in the current competition.

However, the Russian side had the upper hand in the nerve-wracking match and defeated their French rivals once again, 25:24, thanks to Polina Gorshkova’s last-minute goal.

Group B:

CSKA (RUS) vs Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) 25:24 (12:12)

• CSKA were the team who enjoyed a better start, leading 8:4 midway through the first half
• Brest’s goalkeeper Sandra Toft recorded eight saves in the first half, helping the French side to draw level at 12:12 at the break
• the visitors enjoyed a better start in the second half, but they were not able to establish more than a two-goal advantage before CSKA equalised the game
• Ekaterina Ilina was CSKA’s best scorer with seven goals, while Djurdjina Jaukovic netted six times for Brest
• the third-placed CSKA now have 13 points, one fewer than Brest who missed a chance to leapfrog the group leaders Györ

Gorshkova makes special impact

Polina Gorshkova was not among the seven CSKA players who were included in Russia’s squad in the EHF EURO 2020. However, the 31-year-old plays a big role at her club, which she proved against Brest. Gorshkova scored six goals, including four in the opening 15 minutes and a winner 47 seconds from the buzzer.