20.02.2021, 11:00
Plock head towards first place after eighth straight win

GROUP A REVIEW : Wisla Plock added another victory to the winning streak and are now almost assured to finish the group phase at the top of group A.

Plock and Leon were to meet twice in a three-day frame, with the first one being tonight in Poland.

Before the game, Wisla were first in the group, the only team in the European League to have all their games played. With the maximum of fourteen points, the Polish side could even secure first spot before the last two rounds if they were to win tonight.

But Leon, ranked second, were also under pressure to take some points, as the Spanish side could see Chekhov come closer to them if the Russian side won in Skopje earlier today.

Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) vs Abanca Ademar Leon (ESP) 29:22 (15:11)

• The two teams were neck-and-neck through most of the first half. Leon took a quick two-goal advantage in the 18th minute, but it was not until the last five minutes that one of two sides really broke away on the scoreboard. Thanks to a 4:0, concluded by two Lovro Mihic fastbreaks, the hosts were ahead by four at half-time.
• Thanks to their defence and an excellent Zoltan Szita (6 goals), the Polish side increased its advantage after the break. It reached a maximum lead of nine goals before being up by seven at the final siren.
• Plock increase their advantage at the top of the group. The Polish club now only need a point in one of its last two games to secure first place.
• Leon are still second in the group but are now under threat from Chekhov. The Russia team is third, only one point behind them.

A five-minutes absence that cost Leon the game

Up until minute 25, Leon had done everything right. Khalifa Ghedbane recorded a couple of saves, Ruben Marchan was causing havoc in Plock’s defence and the Spanish side, for a short while, had been ahead by two on the scoreboard. But then, they ruined everything within five minutes. Best example was the last turnover of the first half, while one man extra, which allowed Lovro Mihic to score just before the siren. Leon had then lost the momentum, and never found it again.

TEXT: EHF / Kevin Domas