20.09.2020, 04:00
Magnificent Neagu hands CSM second win

GROUP A REVIEW: Cristina Neagu scored her 10th goal with three seconds to go to lift CSM Bucuresti past Team Esbjerg

For a moment, it looked like Team Esbjerg had the better of CSM Bucuresti, yet the genius of Cristina Neagu was once again the vital ingredient for the Romanian side.

Scoring her 10th goal of the game with three seconds to go, Neagu helped CSM Bucuresti win their second DELO EHF Champions League group A game in a row, 30:29.

GROUP A
Team Esbjerg (DEN) vs CSM Bucuresti (ROU) 29:30 (15:17)

• CSM Bucuresti opened the season with two consecutive wins for the first time since their title-winning 2015/16 season
• Esbjerg only had 12 players on the official team sheet, yet their depth saw nine outfield players score at least one goal
• CSM only lost the lead once in the second half, 22:21, but the constant pressure applied to Esbjerg saw them to bounce back to win
• Left back Cristina Neagu was once again instrumental for CSM, scoring 10 times and dishing out six assists
• CSM will host Rostov next week in a bid to go three from three, while Esbjerg travel to Ljubljana to face Krim

Is Neagu unstoppable? 

Esbjerg might have expected CSM Bucuresti to slow down in the second half. In following the plan to block Cristina Neagu, goalkeeper Rikke Poulsen boasted 17 saves, nine of which came against the Romanian sharpshooter.

However, Neagu had the final laugh, and despite Esbjerg knowing what was coming, Neagu’s final shot was truly unstoppable, handing CSM their second win in as many games.

TEXT: EHF / Adrian Costeiu