Elverum open Group D with surprise

The surprises in the VELUX EHF Champions League continue.

After IFK Kristianstad defeated KIF Kolding København 33:26 in Group B Wednesday and Zagreb won 29:22 against THW Kiel earlier Thursday evening, Elverum opened Group D with an unexpected 31:30 win away against Kadetten

GROUP D
Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI) vs Elverum Handball Herrer (NOR) 30:31 (15:16)

Those, who might have seen Elverum as the weakest team in the group because they came from the qualification tournament, they were proved wrong in the BBC Arena of Schaffhausen Thursday night.

A goal in the last second by Serbian playmaker Luka Mitrovic secured the away team the narrow and surprising away.

However, the winning goal was the conclusion of a second half, in which the visitors had been at the lead almost uninterruptedly.

The match started equal with changing one goal leads for both teams.

Just after the middle of the first half, Kadetten got a three goal lead at 13:10, but Elverum came back and could take a one goal lead with them to half time.

The guests even started the second half by getting their first two goal lead of the match, as they increased to 17:15.

This two goal lead was soon extended to a three goal lead, mainly due to a great performance by goalkeeper Morten Nergaard behind a solid and movable 6-0 defence as well as an efficient counter phase.

Elverum managed to stay two to three goals ahead, until the hosts managed to catch up at 28:28 three and a half minute left, and again at 30:30 with 30 seconds left, but it were the Norwegian Champions League debutants who could celebrate at the end due to Mitrovic´s break through in the very last seconds.