EHFCL Round 6 recap: PPD Zagreb miss a chance for the first victory of the season

Ante Gadza

The 6th round of the VELUX EHF Champions League once again brought excitement to the SEHA clubs. Tatran Presov and Vardar finished this round in a victorious way while PPD Zagreb secured a tie against Elverum Handball with a goal in the last moments of the match. 

(Group B) PGE VIVE Kielce – Telekom Veszprem 34:33 (17:17)
In a very tough guest appearance, Telekom Veszprem did not manage to win new points. PGE VIVE Kielce were better in the end with 34:33 (17:17) result. The guests opened the match quite good. They continuously had at least one goal advantage. By the end of the first half, Kielce got in the lead and had 2 goals advantage a few times. But, Veszprem did not allow the home team to secure bigger advantage so they tied the result on the half-time. As soon as the second half started, Kielce stepped up their play. In the 37th minute, they were 3 goals up. That advantage continued to grow and in the 44th minute it was 28:24 for the home team. Such result did not discourage Veszprem as they made a complete comeback in the 50th minute. With just 10 minutes left on the clock, the teams were tied. But, in the end, Kielce won the points in front of their fans on the home court. The most efficient player in the winning team was Alex Dujshebaev Dovichebaeva with 11 goals, while Artsem Karalek added 5 goals. When it comes to Telekom Veszprem's team, Dragan Gajic netted 7 times, while Rasmus Lauge Schmidt scored 5 goals.

(Group C) Tatran Presov – Eurofarm Rabotnik 31:29 (15:14)
In another interesting clash between these two clubs, Tatran Presov once again took the points. This time, Slovakian gem was better with a result 31:29 (15:14). Tatran Presov were in the lead for the first 15 minutes of the match. After that, the guests made a turnover and got in the lead. They dominated on the court for the next 10 minutes, but Slavko Goluza's squad once again took the lead at the end of the first half. Similar situation happened in the second half when the home team lead at the start, and then Eurofarm Rabotnik made a comeback. But as the time went by, Tatran Presov once again secured advantage and at one point, they were 4 goals up. The biggest star in the home team was Oliver Rabek who netted 10 times for Tatran Presov, while Lukas Urban scored 6 goals. On the other side, Vladislav Ostroushko scored 7 goals and Lovro Jotic added 5 goals in the guest team. 

(Group B) Vardar – Meshkov Brest 36:31 (19:17) 
After two back to back losses in the Champions League, Vardar have come back on the winning track. On the home court, they were better than Meshkov Brest 36:31 (19:17). They started the match confidently and secured 2 goals difference that they were holding onto until the half-time. In the second half, Vardar's advantage was getting bigger and Meshkov Brest did not have an answer to their great play. Unstoppable Dainis Kristopans was one of the biggest stars in Vardar's squad with 9 goals while Ivan Cupic added 7 goals. Mikita Vailupau also had great time on the court as he netted 9 times for Meshkov Brest.  

(Group B) Motor Zaporozhye – THW Kiel 27:30 (13:15)
German THW Kiel were too strong for Motor Zaporozhye in Sunday's clash. They were better than Ukrainian champions 30:27 (15:13). Motor Zaporozhye were holding great in the first 10 minutes of the match, but after that Kiel got in the lead and for the rest of the match, the advantage was on the guests' side. Even though Motor Zaporozhye stepped up their play and were only one goal down in the 54th minute, they didn't manage to make a full comeback in the end. The best scorers in the home team were Dener Jaanimaa and Igor Soroka with 5 goals each, while Harald Reinkind was the best scorer in the winning team with 7 goals. 

(Group A) Elverum Handball – PPD Zagreb 30:30 (13:18)
In a important away appearance, PPD Zagreb secured a 30:30 (18:13) draw against Elverum Handball. Even though they were in the lead for the most part of the match, PPD Zagreb did not manage to secure first victory of the season. The guests had a dream opening of the match and were up by 3 goals in the 3rd minute. After that, the home team woke up and didn't allow PPD Zagreb to make a big advantage. The teams were tied in the 26th minute. But Vlah, Horvat, Gadza and Hrstic scored some incredible back to back goals which enabled PPD Zagreb to end the first half with 5 goals advantage. The start of the second half seemed like a routine job for PPD Zagreb. But, the home team made complete comeback in the 50th minute and got in the lead just two minutes after that. After goal by goal play in the next few minutes, Elverum Handball entered the last minute of the match with one goal advantage. But, in the last moments of the match, Sipic scored for 30:30 and enabled PPD Zagreb to secure a draw at the end.  Alexandre Christoffersen Blonz netted 8 times for Elverum Handball. Ante Gadza was the best scorer in PPD Zagreb's squad with 8 goals as well.