Second win for Skjern and Füchse
Skjern Handbold and Füchse Berlin could both celebrate clear wins in Group C of the Men's EHF Cup on Sunday.
Despite missing several players due to illness, Skjern won 27:21 at home against Porto, while Füchse defeated HC Vojvodina as big as 37:22 and made another step to a direct qualification to the EHF Cup Finals. The final tournament's hosts have to win their group or rank among the best three second placed teams in the competition to avoid the quarter-final stage.
In Group B, Fraikin BM Granollers took a clear 27:22 away against St. Petersburg HC.
GROUP B
St. Petersburg HC (RUS) vs Fraikin BM. Granollers (ESP) 22:27 (6:14)
Despite being close to losing an eight-goal lead along the way, Granollers got their first win in the group phase, as they won by five goals in the Arena St. Petersburg.
After the score was even until 3:3, Granollers seemed to be on the way for decide the game early, as they went to 10:3 and later 13:5.
The distance was also eight goals at the half-time, and continued to be so at the beginning of the second half, before the home team started reducing the gap.
Being two goals down at 24:22 with five minutes left was as close as the hosts came, though, and by scoring the last three goals of the match, the visitors still took a rather substantial win in Russia.
Granollers are second in the group with three points just as Team Tvis Holstebro in first position, while St. Petersburg are fourth with one point.
GROUP C
Skjern Handbold (DEN) vs Futebol Clube do Porto (POR) 27:21 (13:11)
Due to illness, Skjern were missing several key players, including their big shooter Nikolaj Markussen. However, this did not keep the team from the far west of Denmark from taking their second win in succession in the group phase through a clear home victory on Sunday afternoon.
Skjern started by getting ahead 7:2, but Porto reduced the distance to two goals before the half-time.
Soon after the break, though, the home team made distance again, increasing their lead to six goals several times and to seven in the last minute before winning by six.
“The match was played on our conditions – not as fast as they wanted. We played very concentrated in the attack, and the fact that we only conceded 21 goals say everything about our defensive performance,” Skjern back court player Henrik Møllgaard said.
Füchse Berlin (GER) vs HC Vojvodina (SRB) 37:22 (18:11)
Füchse had no problems securing the largest win of the group phase so far, as they met Vojvodina at home. The visitors scored the first goal of the match, and that was it for them.
The home team took over at once and got up 5:1, 8:2 and 14:6 before winning the first half by seven goals.
After the break, the Serbian champions got even bigger problems following their opponents. The Füchse dominance became even more outspoken, and the Bundesliga side soon got up by the 15 goals which also separated the two teams at the end.
Czech international Pavel Horak scrored eight goals on eight attempts for Füchse, who are leading Group C with four points. Right back Uros Elezovic scored seven times for Vojvodina who are still on one point in the group.
TEXT: Peter Bruun / br
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