30.10.2007, 11:47
Hypo in top form against Togliatti

Hypo beat Lada in Togliatti by 28:30 (11:15) and got revenge for a dramatic defeat in last season’s CL semi-finals.

Hypo in top form against Togliatti

2,500 spectators in Togliatti saw a surprising defeat of their team. Lada, last season’s CL finalist, did not find the right tactics play against Austrians during entire match.

Tough Hypo

Lada took the first lead on 2:0, but Austrians did not hesitate to respond and the result is 2:4. Home team again took the lead on 10:9, but not for long. Hypo scored three consecutive goals for 10:12. Gumyanov’s team could not cope with excellent attacking play of Tóth, Kirsner and Acimovic, so Hypo went to break with a well deserved four-goal advantage, 11:15.

In the second half the Russians woke up and decreased the margin to 18:19. At that point the match has become a thriller. It was equal at 22:22 and 25:25, but in the crucial moments of the match experience and concentration of Austrian team were decisive. They deservedly celebrated at the end with the final score of the game 28:30.

Unstoppable Tóth

The best players of the match were an incredible Hungarian back, Timea Tóth with 12 goals scored and the German goalkeeper, Sabine Englert. On the Russian side Postnova scored nine goals.

After the match, András Németh said: “Our plan was to win or to make a draw. We achieved that. I think Hypo and Lada will go through.”

Lada’s coach, Alexey Gumyanov, congratulated Hypo for their victory and admitted: “I was not aware that Hypo are already in such a good form. For me, the Austrians are clear favourites for winning our group.”

The most positive thing of the match was not the result itself, but the fact that Németh’s team dominated during the entire match. In away match, against the CL finalist, they even had a lead of four goals after the first half. Obviously, Hungarian coach, András Németh is doing a great job with the team of Gunnar Prokop.

TEXT: Ivan Ambros