24.01.2021, 05:40
Flawless start helps Esbjerg seal second win in a row

GROUP A REVIEW: Team Esbjerg are on a two-game winning streak, after the Danish side took a strong start and never looked back against Krim, 33:23

A 6:0 run to start the game was enough for Esbjerg to building up their form in the DELO EHF Champions League, after securing their second win in a row, 33:23, against Krim

Team Esbjerg (DEN) vs RK Krim Mercator (SLO) 33:23 (16:11)

• Krim failed to score with their first ten shots, as Esbjerg kept a clean sheet for the first 10 minutes and 14 seconds, with line player Natasa Ljepoja breaking the ice for the Slovenian side
• Danish goalkeeper Rikke Poulsen was superb for Esbjerg, stopping seven shots for a 70 percent saving efficiency in the first 15 minutes, to help the Danish side take a 11:4 lead
• buoyed by French back Oceane Sercien Ugolin, Krim managed to cut the gap to only three goals, 21:18, but it was not enough
• another 10:3 run spurred by Esbjerg’s top goal scorers Mette Tranborg and Sanna Solberg-Isaksen, who combined for 15 goals lifted Esbjerg to an unassailable 31:21 lead with six minutes to go
• this was Esbjerg’s second-largest win in the European premium competition, tying another ten-goal win against Krim from four seasons ago, 35:25. Their largest win was recorded last season against Polish outfit MKS Perla Lublin, 35:22
• Esbjerg are still sixth in the standings, with eight points, three more than Krim, with four games left for both sides in the group phase

Tranborg comes of age this season

25-year old Danish right back Mette Tranborg is in the form of her life, jumping to fifth place in the top goal scorer standings in the DELO EHF Champions League, with 55 goals. Her ten-goal outburst against Krim was also her best ever performance in European competitions, beating her previous eight-goal outings against Vipers and Metz this season.

TEXT: EHF / Adrian Costeiu