That’s how it started… 1:0 for FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, then a quick goal by Ana Gros to tie the game. In the third minute, the captain scored again – this time from the seven-metre line for the first lead of Dragan Adžić‘s squad. But the scales tipped slightly in favour of the hosts again later. Then, when Tatjana Brnović was sent off for the team in black. In the ninth minute, Antje Angela Malestein scored for 6:4 and the first lead of any team with more than two goals.
Gros broke the Tigers’ scoring blackout with her third goal of the game on Saturday for 7:5. And the good things continued for the Krim, who also enjoyed the support of their group of fans in the hot Erd Arena. They scored two consecutive hard penalties. Both of them were successfully executed to tie the game at 8:8.
What followed was a repeat of the scenario we saw a week ago in Arena Stožice. The Ljubljana players were close throughout, but they did not turn the result in their favour. Jennifer Gutierrez also ran out of luck at the end of the first half. Instead, the home team took advantage of their next attack and former Krim player Daria Dmitrieva made it 16:14 to end the first half.
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The Tigresses went into the second a bit more determined. They quickly equalised – first the captain and then Tamara Horaček across the court. A little later, the Krim girls managed to tie it again at 19:19, but they did not cash in on the attack for the lead. And a chance missed, none returned. It was like that until the end, and the home team managed to pull away to +3, which was unfortunately too much for the Tigresses.
They now have a little break, which they will surely use to prepare well for two consecutive games against Metz. The first one will take place on Sunday, 10 November (14:00) at Arena Stožice. Tickets are available HERE.
Dragan Adžić, head coach of Krim Mercator: »This is a picture that shows what we have managed to do in two months and what we are still missing. We definitely need to improve the quality of the rotation and the efficiency of the attack, that’s my responsibility. I believe that the break will do us good to prepare as well as possible for the two games against Metz.«
Tjaša Stanko, player of Krim Mercator: »It was an expectedly tough game, but unfortunately too many mistakes on our side. The opponents managed to take advantage of it, and the holey defence was decisive.«
EHF Champions League, Group phase, Round 6
Saturday, 19th October 2024, at 16.00
FTC-RAIL CARGO HUNGARIA (HUN) : KRIM MERCATOR LJUBLJANA 28:26 (16:14)
FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria: Glauser, Edwige, Dmitrieva 8, Hársfalvi 1, Böde-Bíró, Bölk 8, Márton, Kanor, Tamori, Malestein 6, Simon, Klujber 3, Bordás, Maslova, Cvijić, Lekić 2.
Krim Mercator: Radičević 2, Stanko 2, Gros 11, Zaadi Deuna 4, Mavsar, Abina A., Arenhart, N’Diaye, Vojnovič, Gutierrez Bermejo, Varagić, Horaček 4, Ngombele, Brnović 3, Ignjatović, Grbić.
7-meters: FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria BN 2/5, Krim Mercator 4/4
2-minutes suspensions: FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria 8 min, Krim Mercator 4 min
