Vipers clinch crucial win against Bietigheim

GROUP A

MOTW: Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) vs SG BBM Bietigheim (GER) 34:32 (15:17)

• Bietigheim led by as many as four goals in the first half, but their lack of depth, due to several injuries sustained by their players, was once again their undoing
• missing top goal scorer Marketa Jerabkova due to an injury, Vipers relied once again on backs Anna Vyakhireva and Ragnhild Valle Dahl, who scored nine goals each, with Vyakhireva being named the Player of the Match of the Week
• Vipers maintained their excellent home form, winning their sixth match in a row this season, one of only two sides alongside Metz to boast a 100% efficiency at home
• Bietigheim have missed their last chance to secure an automatic quarter-finals berth, as they dropped to the fifth place in the standings, with 10 points, after their sixth winless match in a row
• Vipers have a three-point advantage over Odense in second place in the group and are favourites to qualify for the quarter-finals of the EHF Champions League Women for the third season in a row

Bietigheim’s collapse is Vipers’ win

Being the reigning champions, Vipers Kristiansand always had a target on their backs this season and the team looks arguably more vulnerable than in the previous one. However, the transfer of right back Anna Vyakhireva is really starting to pay dividends, with the Player of the Match of the Week against Bietigheim, she is starting 2023 with a bang, scoring 16 goals in two matches.

Vipers usually pride themselves on their excellent defence, but they conceded too many easy goals in this game, which is, of course, fixable, as they have one of the best defences in the competition and the best in this group, averaging 26.2 goals conceded per match.

On the other hand, Bietigheim’s season is going up in smoke, with six games on the trot without a win, that relegated them from a contender for a quarter-finals berth to a team that could be struggling to make the play-offs, as they hold a two-point advantage over Krim.

While injuries can derail a season, Bietigheim’s collapse has been hard to digest for coach Markus Gaugisch, as his team has conceded 32 goals on average in the last four games, too much for any side in the competition to pull good games together.