Mitrevski masterclass lifts Porto past depleted Szeged

Missing a plethora of players due to the Covid-19 outbreak in their side, MOL-Pick Szeged failed to earn their first win of the season.

Duly delivering when it mattered, FC Porto secured an important win in the Match of the Week against the Hungarian side, 25:19.

MOTW: FC Porto (POR) vs MOL-Pick Szeged (HUN) 25:19 (15:10)

• a depleted Hungarian side, missing Banhidi, Radivojevic, Bombac, Mackovsek and Stepancic, went down 7:2 after 11 minutes
• pushing hard, Spanish back Joan Canellas scored six of Szeged’s first seven goals, but Porto jumped to a 15:10 lead at the break
• Porto’s goalkeeper, Nikola Mitrevski, had an otherworldly game saving 15 shots (46,8 per cent), also picking up the Player of the Match of the Week award presented by IQONIQ
• Szeged recorded their second loss in a row, as they stumble in their worst start in the EHF Champions League Men since the 2011/12 season
• Porto leapfrog Brest to third in the standings, while Szeged remain bottom (the only side failing to register a point in the group)

Canellas turns back the clock

With a 17-year-old, 19-year-old and three 21-year-old players in their roster, Szeged were forced to rely once again on veteran Joan Canellas - one of the few senior players that was available for the Hungarian team. 34-year-old Canellas, who scored 11 goals in the loss against Kielce three weeks ago, added another seven goals and five assists for Szeged, but failed to prevent another loss.