After their 64-game unbeaten streak in all competitions was cut short in the last match before the break in the EHF Champions League, SG BBM Bietigheim dropped another crucial point in group A on Sunday evening. The German side drew 25:25 at home against Brest Bretagne Handball.
GROUP A
SG BBM Bietigheim (GER) vs Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) 25:25 (14:13)
- the turning point of the game looked to be a 4:0 run for Bietigheim between the 31st and 41st minutes as Brest fell behind
- but Brest replied with their own 4:0 run late in the game and finished the match off with a 2:0 run to earn a point. Brest now have five points and are in sixth place in group A
- right wing Alicia Toublanc and left back Djurdjina Jaukovic combined for 13 goals, nine of which came in the second half, as Brest duly delivered an excellent performance to avoid defeat
- on the other hand, after their best start to a season in Europe's premier competition, Bietigheim have fallen to third place in the pecking order after only securing one point in their last two games
- one reason for their downfall might be the patchy form of goalkeeper Melinda Szikora, who had an excellent start to the season, but only saved one shot against Brest, while Gabriela Moreschi, the other goalkeeper, had nine saves and finished with a 45 per cent save efficiency
Brest aim to improve – but suffer in attack
Before the EHF EURO break, Bietgheim suffered a troubling loss against a depleted Odense side, their first of the season, and their woes continued as they drew 25:25 with Brest. The French side boasted two players from the All-Star team of the Women's EHF EURO 2022: goalkeeper Cléopatre Darleux, line player Pauletta Foppa.
Apart from the French pair and left back Djurdjina Jaukovic, Brest also had right wing Alicia Toublanc showing grit and scoring late in the game.
However, Brest will definitely need a makeover in the second part of the group phase, especially in attack, where only Lokomotiva Zagreb have scored fewer goals than Brest’s 170, a sign that not all things are in order for the French side.
