Day review 1: Toulouse upset Gummersbach; Flensburg first team through

From the top 5 matches

GROUP B

Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN) vs Fraikin Bm. Granollers (ESP) 35:32 (20:15)

In the reverse fixture last week, Granollers had comfortably won 36:27, but at home, Bjerringbro took revenge and stayed in fight for a main round spot, as both teams are now level on four points. The Danish team started to show their fire power from the opening minutes and led 14:8 midway through the first half, as their shot efficiency reached 94 per cent at that point. It somewhat dropped as the match progressed, yet seven goals from Peter Balling Christensen lifted the home side to a 20:15 lead at the break. In the second half, Granollers tried to fight back and reduced the gap to just one goal several times, including at 30:29 with 12 minutes to go. But goalkeeper Kasper Larsen did a great job in the crucial phase, saving eight of 12 shots and lifting Bjerringbro to an important victory.

GROUP C    

Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI) vs Limoges Handball (FRA) 29:39 (14:18)

With a win, Schaffhausen might have booked a main round ticket, but it was Limoges who took revenge for a home defeat in round 3, so now both sides are tied on four points. The home side opened a 9:6 lead after 12 minutes, but then their French opponents gained momentum, and as their goalkeeper Dino Slavic boasted a 41 per cent saving efficiency in the first half, Limoges were in front by four goals at half-time. In the reverse fixture, Schaffhausen made a strong comeback in the last 20 minutes, but now Limoges did not repeat their mistakes and continued to dominate in the second half. Ihor Turchenko was hard to stop in attack, as the Ukrainian became the top scorer of the match with 12 goals, and his team cruised to a commanding victory.

GROUP H

FENIX Toulouse (FRA) vs VfL Gummersbach (GER) 31:30 (14:15)

Starting from the qualification, Gummersbach had boasted a five-game winning run at the EHF European League Men, but the series came to an end in France, as the German team missed a chance to secure an early main round spot. Led by Milo Schliroff, the German team created a 9:6 advantage after 15 minutes, but Toulouse used a 3:0 run to draw level. And while Gummersbach won the first half by the smallest of margins, their French opponents did not give up and seized the initiative after the break. Toulouse goalkeeper Yassine Belkaied stood like a wall, ending the match with 15 saves and a 42 per cent save rate, as his team led for most of the second half. With 10 minutes remaining, they were in front by three goals, 26:23, and while Gummersbach slashed the gap, they ultimately became the first German team to drop points in the current group matches.

In case you missed it...

• in group C, Sport Lisboa e Benfica took their fourth win in four matches, beating TATRAN Prešov 36:23, and made another big step towards the main round
• SG Flensburg-Handewitt failed to reach the 40-goal mark for the first time in the competition, but a 39:29 win over MOL Tatabanya KC in Hungary, spurred by 12 goals from August Pedersen, secured the German team's progression

• in the same group, MRK Sesvete claimed their first points in the tournament, as the Croatian team proved too strong for HCB Karvina, 38:23
• IK Sävehof also ended their three-match losing run in group H, taking revenge on FH Hafnarfjordur (30:26) for a defeat last week
• in group A, HC Kriens-Luzern made an important step towards the main round, defeating RK Gorenje Velenje at home, 30:25, as their goalkeeper Kevin Bonnefoi boasted a 43 per cent save rate
• all four teams had been level on three points in group D, but Ystads IF HF claimed an important two points by beating KGHM Chrobry Glogow 38:27 in Poland
• see the results from round 4 of the group matches here

main image © 2024 Frederic Speziale / FENIX Toulouse