Summary of CL’s first quarter finals

On Sunday in Paris MKB-MVM Veszprém tied with PSG in the first game of VELUX EHF Champions League’s quarter final. After this achievement, we are preparing confidently for the rematch in Veszprém on 19 April; it definitely will be an exciting clash. We expect a needle match since the previous games were really tight.

 

 

PPD Zagreb (CRO) - FC Barcelona (ESP) 23:25 (10:14)

 

The Croatian team was preparing confidently for the home game because in this season it could defeat Kiel, PSG, and Kolding. In the beginning, the teams were in a neck and neck race but then Barcelona passed them with a 4:0 attack thanks to Sigurdsson and Karabatic. In the second half Zagreb tried to close up with the leadership of Stepancic, who scored nine goals during the game. As a result of their strife, they could offend for a tie but they were not able to score, so the other team ended up with a 2-point victory with Victor Thomas’s goal.

 

Scorers:

PPD Zagreb: Stepancic 9, Horvat 5, Mandalinic 3, Brozovic and Valcic 2-2, Susnja and Vuglac 1-1

FC Barcelona: Karabatic 6, Lazarov and Tomas 5-5, Sigurdsson 4, Sarmiento 2, Entrerrios, Gurbindo and Sorhaindo 1-1

 

 

 

HC Vardar (MKD) - KS Vive Tauron Kielce (POL) 20:22 (11:11)

 

Skopje’s arena was full of course and in the city center thousands of people watched the match on a huge screen. The home team took over with 2 goals but because of their lost balls the Polish team closed up. Alex Dujshebaev did not perform well in the game against Kielce led by his father. Timur Dibirov also suffered on the court; in the home team mainly Igor Karacic and Sergei Gorbok were outstanding. In the other team, Michal Jurecki did his best; thanks to that they ended the first half with a tie.

In the first 10 minutes of the second half, Kielce did not really have a dynamic game, while Vardar’s goalkeeper Árpád Sterbik helped the home team to gain a 3-goal difference. However, the Polish team gained strength and they took over with a 4:0 attack mainly thanks to Manuel Strlek. In the other team, Stoilov tried to keep them fight but his efforts did not seem to be enough for a victory so Vardar has to go to the rematch with detriment.

 

Scorers:

HC Vardar: Gorbok 5, Karacic and Stoilov 4-4, Lazarov 3, Dujshebaev 2, Brumen 1, Dibirov 1

KS Vive Tauron Kielce: Strlek 5, Jurecki and Tkaczyk 4-4, Bielecki and Cupic 3-3, Aguinagalde 2, Chrapkowski 1

 

 

MOL-Pick Szeged (HUN) - THW Kiel (GER) 31:29 (17:15)

 

In front of their fans, Szeged had a rolling start due to the 5-1 defence and Sierra’s saves. Kiel did everything for closing up but the home team led by Bombac was able to keep the 2-point difference until the end of the first half.

The second half began with a huge fight. Szeged sometimes seemed to be weakening and to be surmounted by Kiel but there was always somebody who revived them. In spite of that, the German team took over in the 53rd minute but then Bombac controlled the players of ‘Tisza-part’; some of them performed great.

 

Scorers:

MOL-Pick Szeged: Bombac 6, Balogh 5, Garcia Robledo 4, Källman and Prodanovic 4-4, Ancsin, Garcia Parrondo, Ilyés and Zubai 2-2

THW Kiel: Weinhold 5, Jicha, Lundström és Vujin 4-4, Palmarsson 3, Duvnjak, Ekberg és Wiencek 2-2, Canellas, Sprenger and Toft Hansen 1-1

 

Photos: ehfcl.com és facebook.com/pickszeged