24.09.2018, 09:48
Sego and Bodo help Szeged overcome deficit to beat Nantes

GROUP B REVIEW: Szeged seize victory from Nantes’ grasp in the VELUX EHF Champions League thanks to outstanding second half performances in Hungary.

Sego and Bodo help Szeged overcome deficit to beat Nantes

After last week’s victorious trip to Zagreb, Szeged snatched a second straight victory against Nantes, but they had to fight for it, as the French side was ahead by one at half-time and even by four at the 40th minute.

But Marin Sego between the posts and Richard Bodo managed to drag their teammates towards the win, the first for Szeged against a French club since 2015.

• Szeged’s goalkeeper, Marin Sego, was key in the final minutes, not letting Nantes score in the last five, saving 18 shots in total
• Richard Bodo scored 8, all of them in the second half, to finish as top scorer in the game. For Nantes, Kiril Lazarov netted six times.
• This is the first time since 2015 Szeged has beaten a French team

GROUP B
MOL-Pick Szeged (HUN) vs HBC Nantes (FRA) 30:28 (11:12)

The first half was, as expected, a very close one. Two early goals by David Balaguer put Nantes ahead early, but all through the first 30 minutes the French team wasn’t able to take an advantage of more than two goals.

They had the opportunity, though, ten seconds before the half, but a turnover and a quick goal by Mario Sostaric meant Szeged were instead back within one when time came to go back to the dressing rooms (11:12).

A narrow deficit which could have even turned into an advantage, had the locals not missed three seven-metre shots before the break.

However, this was just a passing phase, as Nantes carried on at the same pace. The French side powered through with a tough defence and some fast breaks, and a few minutes after the start of the second half, Julian Emonet put his team ahead by four for the first time (16:12).

Despite this, two men were about to wake Szeged up while the game seemed ready to slip out of their hands; left-back Richard Bodo - who was doing almost everything by himself in attack – and Marin Sego, who was performing well between the posts. Stopping two seven meters throws, the Croatian goalkeeper even gave his team the opportunity to level the scores at the 53rd minute, which they did, with Bodo’s eighth goal.

The hosts went on to snatch the win, 30-28, not conceding a goal in the last five minutes, thanks to Sego’s miraculous saves.

Bodo was clearly delighted with the outcodme, "I will not sleep 'til five in the morning! We won with heart, we felt that we can achieve victory and with the public, we did!"

TEXT: Kevin Domas/at