Döne and Pribak lead Besiktas to win
Besiktas Jimnastik Kolubu have taken their first points of the 2015/16 VELUX EHF Champions League season, and the win over HC PPD Zagreb was fully deserved.
This result now means that no team from Group A to D is without points going into Round 7.
Ramazan Döne and goalkeeper Ibrahim Demir were key for the Turkish outfit, while Zagreb missed a huge chance to take a step towards the Last 16.
GROUP A:
Besiktas Jimnastik Kolubu (TUR) vs HC Prvo plinarsko drustvo Zagreb (CRO) 32:30 (17:13)
They have shown some brave performances up to this point, but the Turkish champions Besiktas managed to pull off their first win of the season, and only the second one in their group phase history - after beating Alingsas in the 2014/15 season.
Zagreb were much weaker than in their previous home performances, showing their true ‘away-face’ and recognizing that without the support from their fans it is much harder to win.
From the 15th minute onwards, the Croatian record champions were behind, though right at the end they nearly managed it to turn the match on its head and snatch a win.
Backed by - in total eleven - saves by Demir and the strong performance by Tolga Özbahar and Predrag Dacevic, Besiktas took control of the match with Zagreb lacking efficiency in attack.
Up until the break, Besiktas’ top scorer Ramazan Döne (ten goals in total) was unstoppable - finding the gaps in Zagreb’s defence time and time again.
After pulling it level at 11:11, Besiktas forged ahead to 17:13 at the break, after Zagreb lost the run of themselves at the end of the first half.
Anyone who thought that Veselin Vujovic and his side could turn the match around in the second half was wrong.
Besiktas stayed consistent and fought tooth and nail right throughout.
On the 40-minute mark, the gap was widened to five goals when Macedonian international Nemanja Pribak netted making it 23:18.
With Besiktas running out of power in the final stages, Zagreb tried hard to snatch a draw, but all this came too little too late and Pribak sealed the deal with the final goal.
TEXT: Björn Pazen / bc
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