Metalurg surprise Elverum to move up the standings

Metalurg Skopje grab surprising win in Elverum to leave their opponents at the bottom of Group C after Round 7. The Macedonian side find themselves with six points on their tally, alongside Presov and Chekhovskie Medvedi.

• Lino Cervar’s men take first away win of the season in all competitions
• Metalurg claim first away win in the history of head-to-head ties with Elverum
• Elverum are left bottom of the table, trailing one point behind Metalurg
• Metalurg’s 31 goals in Elverum mark the highest number of goals scored by Metalurg this season
• Filip Kuzmanovski leads the scoring list with nine goals

Elverum handball (NOR) vs Metalurg Skopje (MKD) 26:31, 9:14

Metalurg Skopje snatched their first away win of the season after an impressive performance in Elverum. Lino Cervar’s young team showed a compact defensive performance with strong individualities up front, influenced by clever moves of the Croatian genius on the bench.

Back court difference

Metalurg had Kuzmanovski and Obradovic. Combined, they scored 15 goals. Elverum had big problems in the back court. The tempo of the passing was slow according to Apelgren, leaving Metalurg enough time to prepare for their shots. Tine Poklar and Andre Lindboe kept the flag high for Norwegians, but Arsic was the man always in the right place.

Nergaard vs Arsic battle

Both goalkeepers were amongst the most influential players in their teams. Arsic proved it throughout the match, as he reinforced his team’s defensive stability. Despite the drop of his save percentage in the second half, he delivered when it mattered the most. His counterpart, Nergaard, helped the Norwegians to keep the score line competitive, since Metalurg had more shots and more pressure on the attack.

Technical fouls

Both teams made a number of technical fouls in the game. While Elverum were struggling in the first half with this aspect by committing six fouls, Metalurg gave away opportunities after the break. Elverum quickly reduced the difference with Aleksander Boressen on the line early in the second half, but Metalurg held onto the lead with Lino Cervar choosing very effective tactics.

Old fox

Lino Cervar is an old fox. The most successful Croatian coach often used the extra player on the pitch to play with seven players (usually two line players), alternating Nemanja Obradovic, who scored a couple from this position. Although Metalurg also suffered a few goals into the empty net, they made it difficult for Elverum.