Plock again victorious in Germany

They played their last group match on German soil, and Orlen Wisla Plock returned for the first knock-out match to Germany again and - like in their 30:29 victory at Füchse Berlin some weeks ago - the winners of group A, finished victorious. The 31:28 win at TBV Lemgo in the first ever match between both sides was a great basis for the second leg next week. 

TBV Lemgo Lippe (GER) vs Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) 28:31 (15:13) 

• Plock had a flying start, but Lemgo struck back after the initial 2:5 deficit and were ahead 15:13 at the break thanks to a superb performance of right wing Lukas Zerbe, who in the end was TBV top scorer by seven goals, the same number as Bjarki Elisson 
• after the break, the match was on the edge for a long time, with Lemgo (fourth ranked in group B) leading narrowly until the 20:19 score thanks to intermediately strong goalkeeping and defensive performances
• boosted by the goals of their two overall top scorers Sergej Mark Kosorotov (nine) and Przemyslav Krajewski (seven), Plock turned the match around ten minutes before the end - and took their first two goal-lead at 24:22 
• finally, when Kosorotov scored his ninth and final goal to make it 30:26, the deal was sealed - and Plock take a three-goal advantage into the home match 
• the aggregate winners of this duel face the winners of Sävehof vs Kadetten in the quarter-finals 

Germany a perfect place for Plock 

Last season, Orlen Wisla Plock did not face any German sides in the group phase, the Last 16 or the quarter-finals - and made it to the premiere of the EHF finals at Mannheim. But when there, lost both matches against German opponents, the semi-final against eventual winners SC Magdeburg and the placement match against hosts Rhein-Neckar Löwen. This season, Germany seems to be a perfect place for Plock - at home they lost against Füchse Berlin, but in Berlin they took the victory when they needed to finish on top of the group. Now they have taken another crucial victory at Lemgo.