CSM sweat for win against Dortmund

CSM Bucuresti have a roller-coaster season, trading wins and losses, but this time around it was time for their high-octane attack to be back at its best, powering the Romanian champions to a 33:29 win against BV Borussia 09 Dortmund.

Cristina Neagu, Elizabeth Omoregie and Siraba Dembele combined for 24 of CSM’s 32 goals, the second largest amount scored by the Romanian powerhouse this season.

GROUP A
CSM Bucuresti (ROU) vs BV Borussia 09 Dortmund (GER) 33:29 (16:14)

• going on a 6:0 unanswered run that prevented Dortmund to score for nine minutes and 26 seconds was instrumental for CSM’s sixth win of the season
• due to injuries, Dortmund had only 12 outfield players and two goalkeepers, with Dutch shot stopper Yara ten Holte saving 10 shots for a meagre 24 per cent saving efficiency, while Clara Woltering used only at penalties, making an emergency comeback after retiring in 2019
• with her 11 goals this evening, Romanian left back Cristina Neagu improved to 81 goals overall this season, taking over the first place in the top goal scorer standings, nine more than Vipers’ Nora Mørk
• Neagu is now on 881 goals in her career in the DELO EHF Champions League, trailing only Anita Görbicz and Jovanka Radicevic in the all-time top goal scorer standings
• CSM won their sixth game of the season and will either need one more point in the last three games they play or HC Podravka Vegeta to fail to win all their next five games to secure a play-offs berth

Dortmund’s lack of depth proves costly

Dortmund’s coach Andre Fuhr needed two time-outs in the first half to weather the storm and his team bounced back from a six-goal deficit to cut the gap to only two goals at the break. Yet the German side, in their second season in the DELO EHF Champions League, still lacks the depth needed to secure a win in a stronghold like “Sala Polivalenta” in Bucharest.

The Romanian champions have, once again, alternated the good moments with the bad, but when their star, Cristina Neagu, is having a good game, things will surely look good for CSM. And Neagu delivered once again, with her third match with at least 10 goals scored this season. A quarter-finals berth might be already out of reach, but CSM are positioning themselves for a podium finish, which would mean a home match in the second leg of the play-offs.

Post-match quotes

Adi Vasile, CSM Bucuresti coach: "We knew we had to be on our top level. We had some physical fatigue but we knew we had to be on top level. It was a very good performance from both teams. I would like to thank our fans because this is only the second game with fans in the Polivalenta and the atmosphere was amazing." 

Samara Da Silva, CSM Bucuresti left back: "It was a very hard week for us with lots of travel and we came today with the focus and the goal to take the two points. It was difficult for us in Brest but the game today we knew we had to win. Every time they came close to us we knew we had to fight even more and in the end we managed to win." 

Andre Fuhr, Borussia Dortmund coach: "I liked the way CSM played. For us it was a great success of being a hard team to beat. I believe we could have taken one point but in the end they played better. We go home satisfied with the game as we have a young team. We really liked the atmosphere in the hall. 

Yara Ten Holte, Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper: "We had some problems in attack, then we got better and they came back again, CSM has great players. I am very proud of my team because we have fought well. I would like to congratulate CSM for the win but I am happy with my team as we are a young team."