Montpellier take top spot despite loss in Göppingen
Only a little was at stake in group A tonight, as four teams had already secured their play-offs tickets. Only one thing was left unknown: whether Göppingen could take the top spot off Montpellier - the team they were hosting tonight.
And the French side did not fear its position as their opponents took a four-goal advantage only once, in the first half, unable to keep up the rhythm afterwards.
In the other games, Kadetten Schaffhausen and Benfica, two sides already through, took the wins against the two eliminated teams, Fejer B.A.L. Veszprem and Presov.
GROUP A
Fejer B.A.L. Veszprem (HUN) vs SL Benfica (POR) 26:35 (14:17)
Five minutes is all it took for Benfica to make the game turn their way. While both teams were neck-and-neck in the first twenty-five minutes, the Portuguese side scored four times unanswered right before the break. Heading to the dressing much more confidently, the visitors kept pushing in the second half. With Petar Djordjc scoring seven and Sergey Hernandez making 11 stops, Benfica broke away, enjoying the most significant gap of the evening on the final whistle.
Frisch Auf Göppingen (GER) vs Montpellier HB (FRA) 27:25 (14:11)
The equation was pretty simple for Göppingen, as the hosts had to win by eight or more to reach the group’s top spot. Thanks to Marin Sego’s saves, Göppigen opened up a gap as big as four goals before the break, and Montpellier came back into the game in the second half. Hugo Descat and Diego Simonet were essential for the French side, scoring six each. But with Marcel Schiller scoring a perfect seven out of seven from seven meters, Göppingen still dealt with the final minutes better and took the points. Despite this win, the German side remains second, while Montpellier takes the top spot.
We were in front the whole game. In the first half we only let in 11 goals from Montpellier. It was a great performance from Sego who saved 8 balls. For sure Montpellier are a top team so we couldn’t open a big distance between us and them. In the attack in the second half we lacked the power and energy. But we wanted to win the game and that’s what we did.
Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI) vs TATRAN Presov (SVK) 38:30 (20:15)
It took Kadetten ten minutes to warm up, as Tatran Presov briefly took a three-goal lead before seeing the hosts turn things around. With Odinn Thor Rikhardsson wearing his usual best scorer suit (13 goals), the hosts scored 20 in the first half alone to lead by five at the break. They did not take their foot off the gas, making the most of their goalkeepers’ saves. Scoring 38 to tie with their season record, they took two more points, securing their third spot in the group.
We have to congratulate the team, and the guys for winning 14 points in this group. We didn't expect this at the beginning of the group phase.
