Szeged profit from strong first half 

GROUP B

RK Celje Pivovarna Laško (SLO) vs Pick Szeged (HUN) 28:36 (13:20)

• thanks to a flying start and by pulling ahead to 9:4 after a 6:1 run, Szeged calmed down the arena - and then profited from this advance until the break 
• scoring from almost all positions, the visitors were hard to defend against - and another 7:3 run in the last eight minutes of the first half provided Szeged with a clear 20:13 halftime lead 
• while overall Champions League top scorer Aleks Vlah did not have a perfect day, Tilen Strmljan and youngster Tim Cokan both scored five times each, but even Celje’s strong period in the middle of the first half could not endanger the Hungarian champions 
• a treble strike for the lead at 33:25 in the 52nd minute decided this match, which was one-sided from start until finish 
• the best scorers of a well-balanced Szeged side were Richard Bodo and Sebastian Frimmel, with six goals each 

Szeged forget their weak start 

With four straight defeats right at the start of the start of the EHF Champions League group phase, this season was the first time that Pick Szeged had to wait for a win until round 5. But just as coach Juan Carlos Pastor announced he would step down at the end of this season, his side started to earn points.

In the last four matches, Szeged have taken three victories and six points and clearly bridged the gap to the teams ahead. Another reason for the success is the comeback of line player Bence Bánhidi after a back injury, as he is the true leader of the team - even when others score more often than the team captain.