The first half of the match at the Polyvalent Hall did not go as the guest team had hoped. After the first ten minutes, CSM Bucuresti handball players were already leading by +5. The reason why the head coach of the Krim family, Ambrosio Martin, took a minute break. It might have injected some new strength into the Tigresses, but not enough to make them pick up even more after two quick goals by Grace Zaadi Deuna and Itana Grbić.
The home team was flying around the pitch, but unfortunately the Krim made too many sloppy mistakes and by half-time were looking at their opponents’ backs. 17:8 was the score at that point.
And the second half didn’t go as planned either. There were some good actions in attack and also in defence, but the home team maintained a double-digit difference and the Tigresses could not get any closer. In the end, they had to concede 36:23 to their rivals.
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Ambrosio Martin, head coach of Krim Mercator: »Before the game we still thought we could win these two points. But from the first minutes we saw that this was not our day. Believe it or not, I don’t know what to say. I can’t say what I’m sorry about our performance today.«
Ana Abina, player of Krim Mercator: »We came here ready. At least we thought so. We knew we were going to fight, even though it didn’t look like it on the court. Nothing went according to our plans. I simply have no words. Neither in attack nor in defence did it work.«
EHF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, GROUP PHASE, ROUND 10
Saturday, 18th January 2025, at 16.00
CSM BUCURESTI (ROM) : RK KRIM MERCATOR 36:23 (17:8)
CSM Bucuresti: Goncalves Dias Moreschi, Mihai, Arntzen, Grijseels 2, Neagu 11, Rotaru 1, Smits 3, Jauković 3, Friis 5, Eriksson, Omoregie 6, Jensen Østergaard, Kobylinska 3, Pásztor 1, Pintea 1, Hosu.
Krim Mercator: Jurič, Radičević, Stanko 1, Gros 3, Zaadi Deuna 2, Mavsar 1, A. Abina 2, Arenhart, N’Diaye, Vojnovič, Gutierrez Bermejo 2, Horaček 7, Ngombele 1, Brnović, Grbić 4, Egger.
7-meters: CSM Bucuresti 6/6, Krim Mercator 3/4
2-minutes suspensions: CSM Bucuresti 2 min, Krim Mercator 8 min