Crucial home win secures Pelister a Last 16 ticket

GROUP D :

HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD) vs AEK Athens HC (GRE) 30:19 (10:8) 

• both goalkeepers shone in the first half, as Pelister’s Martin Szekely and AEK’s Petros Boukovinas stopped at least half of the shots aimed at them before the break
• this resulted in a tight first half, during which Pelister broke away late to take its maximum advantage of three goals shortly before the break
• a 5:0 series within nine minutes put Pelister on the track to victory, with Josip Bozic-Pavletic scoring easy goals from his wing to put his team out of reach
• Patrick Toniazzo Lemos netted eight times for AEK while Pelister’s Stipe Mandalinic scored seven
• thanks to this win, Pelister secured their Last 16 ticket and are now sure to finish second

 Marton Szekely, a masterclass from the Hungarian goalkeeper

 The 32-year-old goalkeeper delivered a stunning performance tonight to help his team secure its Last 16 ticket. Stopping 50% of the shots aimed in his direction, he helped Pelister take the lead and secure their first lead in the first half. While he remained quieter after the break, the former Veszprem goalkeeper still pulled out a couple of saves to make sure AEK would not come back. His saves prompted the fans to loudly cheer for him, while he responded back making hearts with his hands. Truly a majestic evening for him.