EHF Champions League title-holders Buducnost produced a strong finish to defeat Györi Audi ETO KC and avenge their defeat by the Hungarian side in the reverse fixture, aided by strong home support in the Moraca Hall on Sunday.
Group 2
Buducnost (MNE) vs Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN) 25:22 (12:12)
The heavyweight clash between Europe’s top two teams lived up to its billing as it served an enthralling contest, ending with reigning champions Buducnost repelling a spirited Györ rally to move two points clear of them on top of a fiercely competitive group.
After their defeat by Györ in Hungary earlier in the main round – their first loss of the season – Buducnost were determined to avenge the setback. Duly, they got off to a flying start.
With playmaker Milena Raicevic and winger Neli Irman dictating the early pace in Podgorica’s Moraca Hall, Buducnost romped away to a 5:1 lead and then extended it to 8:2 against their subdued rivals.
It seemed a one-sided contest was on the cards but Györ then showed what they are made of, responding superbly through Eduarda Amorim Taleska and Nycke Groot.
The visitors turned the match on its head with an incredible 8:1 run of their own to take a 10:9 lead, much to the home crowd’s disbelief as Buducnost’s attack simultaneously came to a screeching halt.But the home side recuperated and managed to draw level by half-time, with Raicevic and Irman netting three goals apiece for them in the opening period.
With the teams tied at 14:14 early in the second half, Buducnost engineered a decisive 6:1 streak to swing the momentum their way, before surviving a late scare when Györ pulled it back to 21:20 in the closing stages.
The visitors were finally undone by the Monteregrin team’s towering pivot Dragana Cvijic, who put the icing on the cake with a spectacular in-flight goal to make the score 25:21 before Yvette Broch netted a consolation effort on the buzzer for Györ.
"Excellent game and a great coach on the other side," said Buducnost coach Dragan Adzic after the game. "We got exactly what we need at this stage of the Champions League. The audience and the girls endured to the end, we returned after the fall of the game and entered a major victory on the eve of important matches that await us in the quarter-finals. I believe we will play another match against Györ at the final tournament in Budapest."
Marshalled by superb goalkeeping from Marta Zderic, Buducnost’s strikers thrived as Cvijic grabbed six goals, right back Katarina Bulatovic added five, and Irman and opposite wing Majda Mehmedovic chipped in with four each.
Amorim led Györ with six from 10 shots but Györ appeared to run out of steam, as the home team gained the upper hand in the last quarter of the game.