Velenje win keeps Last 16 hopes alive

Gorenje Velenje needed a win if they wanted to keep Last 16 dream alive, and after a nervous wait for the result of the match between PAUC Handball and La Rioja their place was confirmed.

Zoran Jovicic’s team weren’t at their smoothest as they had been in thei previous two matches, but they rallied in the last 10 minutes to take advantage of Sävehof’s inexperience and haul them in to claim victory.

GROUP C

IK Sävehof (SWE) vs RK Gorenje Velenje (SLO) 27:28 (14:11)

• Sävehof’s coach Michael Apelgren gave minutes to younger players who had played less of the season so far
• Velenje made a bad start. They trailed by by four after 10 minutes and lacked efficiency in offence
• Simon Möller was a good replacement for Bertram Obling, having made seven saves at 40 per cent efficiency in the first half
• Velenje’s 5-0 goal series at the start of the second half levelled the game, as the visitors went from trailing by three to a two-goal lead (18:16)
• the Slovenian team slipped behind a few more times, but they had begun their comeback
• goalkeeper duo Aljaz Panjtar and Emir Taletovic with 11 saves in total helped Velenje to celebrate

Sävehof’s youth 

With having secured a Last 16 spot as the second-ranked team, the Swedish team gave their young talented players an opportunity.

Without players like Alexander Westby and Elias Ellefsen in the squad, the youthful Sävehof’s squad gave their best and were strong opponents to Velenje. The less experienced team was led by 19-year-old Malte Celander, who was Sävehof’s top scorer with six goals, followed by four of Kelvin Roberts and three goals by 21-year-old Pontus Brolin.

They may have lost, but it was an experience that will help in their development.