Day review 2: Benfica and Flensburg keep clean records

FROM THE TOP MATCHES

GROUP C: Sport Lisboa e Benfica (POR) vs Limoges Handball (FRA) 37:31 (20:16)

After their historic 31:27 opening win against Tatran Prešov, European Cup debutants Limoges were chanceless at Lisbon. The 2023 EHF European League winners had full control throughout the whole match. Like in their close 26:25 at Kadetten Schaffhausen, Belone Moreira was crucial for Benfica, scoring an overall of six goals, only topped by Romanian Demis Grigoras, who netted seven times. Another key was young Hungarian goalkeeper Kristof Palasics with 16 saves. Leading 7:3 after only eight minutes was the base for the Benfica’s victory, the advance rose to 18:11 in minute 25, and the deal was sealed latest with the 27:19 in minute 41. In the duel of the two Spanish coaches Jesus Javier Gonzales celebrated a clear win over Alberto Entrerrios. The best scorer for Limoges was Matej Hrstic with seven goals.

GROUP H: FH Hafnarfjordur (ISL) vs. VfL Gummersbach (GER) 21:40 (12:19)

The return of Icelandic handball legend to his home country was a clear statement. Coached by Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson, VfL Gummersbach took a clear win at Hafnarfjordur and remain on top of their group with the optimum of four points. The one-sided encounter was imprinted by two strong goalkeepers – Daniel Andresson (Valur) stopped 15 shots while for Dominik Kuzmanovic raked up 13 saves. Gummersbach’s youngster Miro Schluroff scored 10 goals. For the German side, it was the first time to score 40 or more goals in an international match since 11 February 2012, when they beat Arendal from Norway 40:27 in the Last 16 of the Cup Winners’ Cup on their way to the final. It took a while until the VfL engine was running, but from the 14:8 score, they had taken over the control of the game. From the 24:14 on, the margin was double-figured constantly. Among three others, Gummersbach’s Icelander Elliði Viðarsson scored four times, Birgi Birgisson was Valur’s top scorer with five goals.

In case you missed it ...

• Valur turned a 9:16 half-time deficit into a 27:27 draw against FC Porto – but finally even gave a victory from their hands, as the Portuguese side levelled the result with the two last strikes after the Icelandic hosts led 27:25
• SG Flensburg-Handewitt scored more than 40 goals again: after their 42:25 against Sesvete in the opener, the defending champions won 41:31 at Karvina in a match which was technically decided already at the break (24:11); top scorer was Karvina’s Dominik Solak with ten goals
• Bjerringbro-Silkeborg struck back after their heavy defeat at Montpellier, securing their first points with a 30:26 against Gornik Zabrze; goalkeeper Mikkel Møller Løvkvist was the hero with 18 saves
• A 6:1 lead right from the start was Ademar Leon’s perfect base for a clear 32:24 win against Gorenje Velenje to earn their first points of the season; Carlos Alvarez was top scorer with seven goals
• Tin Lucin made RK Nexe happy with his last two goals to level the match against Torrelavega for the 32:32; like Luka Moslavac, Lucin scored eight for the Croatian side, which was down almost the whole match

Main image: Vladimir Pryček