Strong first-half finish lifts Esbjerg past Buducnost

GROUP B
Team Esbjerg (DEN) vs WHC Buducnost BEMAX (MNE) 30:20 (15:9)

• Buducnost's mobile defence caused trouble for Esbjerg – whose shot efficiency was at 60 per cent and were unable to make a break – in the early stages
• after a short Buducnost lead (7:8), Esbjerg stepped up a gear in the last five minutes of the first half with a 6:0 run that forced Bojana Popovic to call for her first timeout in the game
• Esbjerg's blistering performance continued at the start of the second half as they extended their 6:0 run to an 8:0 run when Marit Røsberg Jacobsen scored for 17:9
• Buducnost scored only one goal in the span from the 23rd to the 33rd minute. The Montenegrin side's technical errors and faltering attack decided the outcome of the match
• Esbjerg reached their first double-digit lead in the 37th minute of the match and maintained it until the end
• both sides' top scorers had five-goal outings: Beyza Irem Türkoglu and Henny Ella Reistad for Esbjerg, and Milena Raicevic on Buducnost's side

Esbjerg receive boost ahead of crucial match

Esbjerg extended a winning streak to three games for the second time this season. After an opening round defeat against Győri Audi ETO KC, they were on a victorious course until they met CS Rapid Bucuresti.

They got back on track for five straight matches until they were stopped again by Metz Handball. With their third win in a row since that defeat, Esbjerg remain the competition's most efficient team in attack. The Danish side have scored 427 goals at a 68.9 per cent efficiency – averaging 32.84 goals per game. The taste of victory will be an additional boost for the Danish powerhouse ahead of the crucial match against Győr in the last round of the group phase.

Credit for the photos in this article: Niels Husted / nhcfoto.dk