First-half dominance crucial for Odense

Odense Håndbold conceded only five goals before the break, which laid the groundwork for their 24:19 win away at Krim Mercator Ljubljana.

GROUP B

Krim Mercator Ljubljana (SLO) vs Odense Håndbold (DEN) 19:24 (5:15)

• Krim were never in front throughout 60 minutes, as Odense took early control of the match to lead 10:4 by minute 18
• Odense's goalkeeper Althea Reinhardt boasted a 64 per cent save efficiency before the break, restricting Krim to just five goals in 30 minutes
• after the restart, the home team improved in attack a lot, scoring 14 goals, yet could not avoid a defeat
• with 11 points, Odense climbed to the fourth place in the group, while Krim stay sixth with five points
• the Danish side have taken eight of their 11 points away from home, winning four of five matches

Both goalkeepers do a good job

No scorers really stood out in this match, as Odense's Bo van Wetering became the best with four goals. However, goalkeepers of both sides did a good job.

Reinhardt finished the game with 15 saves and a 45 per cent save rate, contributing a lot to her team's win, and her colleague from Krim Barbara Arenhart not only stopped 16 shots for a 40 per cent save efficiency, but also netted twice herself after the break.

Post-match quotes

Nataliya Derepasko, Krim Mercator Ljubljana coach: "I would like to apologise to all the spectators and fans of our club for the disastrous first half, but I am glad that we regrouped in the second half and showed that we did not forget to play handball. I hope that we will continue to do so."

Valentina Klemencic, Krim Mercator Ljubljana line player: "We started the first half badly, we made too many mistakes, there was too little concentration. In the second half we wanted to fix it all, but we didn't succeed as we agreed."

Ulrik Kirkely, Odense Håndbold coach: "We have a big respect for Krim, they have a lot of experienced players who had tried a lot in these DELO EHF Champions League matches. During the match today, we were also under pressure when we lost Mie Højlund so we had fewer position players. We create a good difference, especially in the first half, and continuously put the pressure on Krim during the game. We lost a little bit too much in the second half but in general, we are very satisfied."

Bo van Wetering, Odense Håndbold left wing: "I think we played really good in the first half. We played with a lot of speed and good in defence. And so was easier for us to play well in the attack. In the second half, we made some stupid mistakes and that was a little hideous for us. But in the end, we kept fighting and brought a win to the end."