Györ snatch a last-minute win in Esbjerg
Last season's runners-up are back on a winning track in the EHF Champions League as Györi Audi ETO KC opened the 2022/23 season with a narrow 31:29 win at Team Esbjerg. The rematch of the EHF FINAL4 2022 semi-final proved to be a great match to watch for handball fans.
Györ saw a good start having an early lead but the Danish powerhouse quickly caught up making a tight match right until the final buzzer. It was all or nothing for both teams but Györ were more concentrated in the last minutes. With Sandra Toft’s save after Kaja Kamp Nielsen’s miss and Ana Gros’ strong shot in the final moments of the match, the Hungarian side celebrated their fourth total consecutive win over Esbjerg.
GROUP B
Team Esbjerg (DEN) - Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN) 29:31 (13:13)
- a close match right until the 16th minute with Györ making a 3:0 run for the first clear lead after a stellar performance by Silje Margaretha Solberg and her five saves out of 11 attempts
- the star-filled game saw a big fight on the court as Esbjerg got even right before the end of the first half
- second-half saw both teams in a lead and even better comebacks bringing a match to an exciting finish
- the strong side of Györ was their fast-breaks throughout the match allowing them a one-goal lead in the final moments and good saves by Sandra Toft in the second half
- Kristine Breistøl was Esbjerg's second top scorer with six goals
Right-back stars
It was almost like a shoot-out of the two right-back stars as they were leading their team and trying to score as many goals as possible. Esbjerg’s star Nora Mørk scored 13 goals, nine from the seven-metre line, but it was not enough to snatch the first-ever win against Györ. Ana Gros on the other hand set her tally for Györ at nine but the most important one came 15 seconds before the final whistle, securing this hard-earned win at the start of the EHF Champions League.
Jesper Jensen, head coach Team Esbjerg: "It was a great game. Playing so well so early in the season and between two top teams in Europe makes it look good for the rest of the season. Ana was one of those who hurt us the most in second half."
Kaja Kamp, line player for Team Esbjerg: "It was not the result we wanted, but they are a tough team to play against, and they played really well."
Ambros Martin, head coach Györ: "Team Esbjerg did not surprise us, because we played against them at the end of last season, so we were prepared for what they came with. But the difference between to teams were few goals, so both teams could have won."
Ana Gros, right back for Györ: "This win is about the team-work. I am really glad for my teammates. They put me in good positions to score the goals needed for the win, and I really appreciate them."
