Rasmus Poulsen’s side made an excellent start to the match. They played with courage and fluidity, causing the hosts plenty of problems with solid defence and an inspired Jovana Risović between the posts.
Krim took an 8:5 lead and dictated the tempo for much of the first half. Brest only managed to turn the score around towards the end of the opening period, going into the half-time break with a narrow 13:12 advantage.
The start of the second half remained evenly balanced before the hosts managed to open up a small lead. But Krim refused to let them pull away. With just 10 minutes remaining, Brest led by only 23:21, setting up a tense finish.
In the closing stages, however, the hosts were able to make their greater experience count. Krim lacked a little energy and composure with their finishing in the final minutes, allowing Brest to eventually secure a 28:25 victory.
Krim will return to their home court on Saturday, 17 October (18:00), against Budućnost at Hala Tivoli, Ljubljana. Tickets are already available!
Among Krim’s standout performers was goalkeeper Jovana Risović, who delivered a very strong performance with 12 saves. In attack, Ana Abina was in fine form in the first half, finishing with six goals, while Anne With Johansen made an important contribution in the second half and scored five. Line player Lili Mario added four goals.
The performance in Brest represents another encouraging step forward for the young Ljubljana side, who remained fully competitive against last season’s EHF Champions League semi-finalists until the closing minutes. Krim therefore leave Brest with their heads held high and already turn their attention to the next European challenge.
Next weekend brings another away fixture, as Krim OTP Group Mercator will face Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, 11 October at 16:00 (live on TV Arena Sport). They return to their home court on Saturday, 17 October (18:00), when they host Budućnost Podgorica at Hala Tivoli.
🎙️ Post-match reactions
Rasmus Poulsen, Head Coach: “I am disappointed with the result, but satisfied with the performance. We are growing as a team from game to game and the progress is clear. Today, we made our best performance of the season and had opportunities to get even more from the match, but in the end, a few small details made the difference. We are on the right track, and now we need to keep working and build on performances like this.”
Ana Abina, Left Back: “We can be proud of ourselves today and of the performance we showed away against a very strong Brest team. We never gave up and fought until the very end. In some important moments, we made a few too many mistakes and missed shots when we needed to score. Despite that, we can definitely go into the next match with our heads held high.”
Brest Bretagne (FRA) : Krim OTP Group Mercator 28:25 (13:12)
Brest Bretagne: Nocandy 6, Horacek 5, Mairot 4, Coatanea 4, Tshimanga 2, Lott 2, Delaye 2, Michalak 2, Hvenfelt 1, Depuiset, André, Borg, Smetková, Babo
Krim OTP Group Mercator: Abina 6, Johansen 5, Martins Mario 4, Zulić 3, Madsen Kielstrup 3, Puncer 1, Kogovšek 1, Marković 1, Stanković 1, Ermenc, Vojnovič, Vuković, Kovšca, Risović, Egger.
7-meters: Brest Bretagne 1/1, Krim OTP Group Mercator 5/6.
2-minute suspensions: Brest Bretagne 0 min, Krim OTP Group Mercator 4 min.
Photo: Brest Bretagne Handball