Györ move top with victory and Vardar punish Sävehof
Györ move top with victory and Vardar punish Sävehof
Györ moved ahead of Buducnost in the battle for top spot in Group 2, after the Hungarian side disposed of CSM Bucuresti, 28:22.
After the largest defeat in their history last time out, HC Vardar bounced back and eased past Sävehof, 37:25, moving them up to third place.
Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN) vs CSM Bucuresti (ROU) 28:22 (12:10)
If Bucuresti's head coach, Kim Rasmussen, wanted his team to limit their mistakes against Györ, CSM failed in their efforts.
Györ’s flawless defence managed to keep the away side at bay and was the deciding factor in the Hungarian’s win.
While the Romanian team dominated the first 10 minutes of the game, Györ managed to fight their way back and moved three goals ahead after 23 minutes, leading 11:8.
Györ exploited the weaknesses in CSM’s defence via swift passes to Heidi Loke and Yvette Broch, the team’s line players to begin to control the game.
The presence of the women's EHF Champions League cup at Györi's stadium may even have inspired the impressive display. Fans were able to pose with the trophy before the game and see exactly what both side's were competing for.
Without Maria Fisker and Line Jorgensen, who were both injured, and Linnea Torstenson not at full strength, CSM found it difficult to have any notable impact on proceedings.
Speed was lacking in CSM’s attack and host's defence was able to contain Isabelle Gullden and Ana Paula Rodrigues.
It proved to be decisive and CSM equaled their worst ever performance in the competition, losing by a six-goal margin.
Györ's third consecutive win in the competition moves them top of Group 1, with 11 points, two ahead of Buducnost, who play on Sunday against FC Midtjylland, while CSM sit in fourth place, with six points.
HC Vardar (MKD) vs IK Sävehof (SWE) 37:25 (19:10)
Vardar earned one of their most impressive victories ever in the Women's EHF Champions league, with spectacular 37:25 drubbing of the Swedish champions.
Sävehof took the lead twice in the early stages of the game, but Vardar’s greater experience in the competition made the difference on the day.
An 11 minute drought for Sävehof saw Vardar jump from an 8:8 scoreline to a 14:8 advantage.
As Vardar continued to experiment on court, sending almost all of their players into the game, the difference between the sides continued to grow.
Andrea Penezic and Andrea Lekic were Vardar’s top scorers, with six goals each, with Jovanka Radicevic just behind, scoring five goal.
After the game Andrea Lekic said: "This is a very important win for my team.
"We knew how we played against Buducnost and our response to that is good for our self-confidence.
"This is the way we we have to play in our upcoming matches."
Vardar's coach, Indira Kastratovic said: "I want to congratulate my players for a very good game.
"We don't have time to celebrate. We just have to stay focused ahead of another important game in Bucharest."
Julia Eriksson was Sävehof’s top scorer, with seven goals.
While Sävehof is the only team without a point from seven games in the main round, Vardar climbed to third position in Group 2, with eight points.
