05.10.2014, 07:30
Aalborg salvage a point in the last second

GROUP D REVIEW: Danish runners-up squandered a seven goal lead and were on the brink of defeat, but Emil Berggren beat the buzzer for the first draw of the new season.

Aalborg salvage a point in the last second

What suspense in Aalborg! Kadetten Schaffhausen created an upset in Denmark by playing level with the favourites who beat Dunkerque away in the first round. Not only that - the Swiss team were on the brink of a sensational win after a stunning turn of events in the second half-time.

GROUP D
Aalborg Handball (DEN) vs Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI) 23:23 (11:8)

It was business as usual for the home team who won the first half comfortably 11:8 after a solid defensive display and a 50% save rate. It looked even worse for Kadetten in the opening minutes of the second half. An agile deep defence and quick counter-attacks were the hallmark of the Danish side.

Guests from Switzerland were without any imagination in attack and when Aalborg scored twice and did not concede with a man down in the 43rd minute the difference was +7 (18:11) for Jesper Jensen's men.

But Kadetten did not surrender. They were also helped by an increasingly indifferent Aalborg display. Misplaced passes, missed shots from perfect positions and gaping holes in the home defence allowed the visitors to get closer and closer until finally equalising six minutes from time - with a man down to boot (20:20). Nine minutes have gone by without Aalborg scoring a single goal!

The hosts eventually tightened their game and were in a position to seal the deal 90 seconds from the final whistle. But Nikola Portner made his 13th save and Andrija Pendic (6 goals total) later leveled at 22 each. Havard Tvedten made a poor pass for Aalborg and Rares Jurca was fouled while attempting a shot.

There were 12 seconds remaining on the clock, Pendic went to the 7-meter line and beat Ole Erevik. Aalborg were on the edge of the abyss, but Emil Berggren (eight goals total) came to the rescue, rising up from 11 meters and blasting a shot past Portner in the very last second of the game to tie the proceedings at 23:23.

TEXT: Grega Sever / br