A thriller was expected and a thriller was had in the game between Nantes and GOG on Tuesday evening. But if anyone thought that both attacked were going to deliver highlights after highlights, tonight was more about defence.

Nantes reduced their opponents to silence in the first half, forcing GOG to score only eight before the break. That was before a second half during which the hosts made the final difference on the scoreboard.

GROUP B

HBC Nantes (FRA) vs GOG (DEN) 27:24 (11:8)

• After trailing by two early on, Nantes took back control, conceding just five in the last 25 minutes of the first half
• Nantes were also superior in the second half, even if their defence was not as efficient as the first
• Aymeric Minne scored six goals to power up his team in the second half
• The maximum advantage for Nantes was six goals, before a couple of saves by Torbjorn Bergerud and two fast-breaks from Jerry Tollbring for the Danes reduced the gap to three at the end
• Tollbring was the best scorer of the game, netting nine times for GOG

Nantes’ defence stifles GOG’s offence

In their first two games of the EHF European League Men group phase, Danish side GOG scored 22 goals in the first half, before going on to a score a total of 39 and then 46.

On Tuesday night GOG’s offence was kept quiet by the French, allowing just eight first half strikes – which included three seven metres.

As usual, goalkeeper Emil Nielsen was decisive in this move, but it was more a collective effort, as the Danish offence was often seen circulating the ball without any solution unable to get past an impressive performance from Nantes.