Motor record sixth consecutive win

With their thoughts mainly on the Last 16 play-off double header against Montpellier in March, HC Motor Zaporozhye capped off the VELUX EHF Champions League Group Phase in style, with a 30:28 win against TTH Holstebro.

The Danish side finished the group in fifth place, after their defensive woes were exploited by their opponents on Sunday. 

• Motor are undefeated in the VELUX EHF Champions League since November

• The Ukrainian champions are in the play-off phase for the second year in a row

• Left wing Magnus Grubb Bramming is the new top goal scorer of the competition, with 72, after he leapfrogged Dinamo’s Sajad Esteki

GROUP D
TTH Holstebro (DEN) vs HC Motor Zaporozhye (UKR) 28:30 (17:15)

Already qualified for the play-offs after a five-game winning streak, Motor’s targets on Sunday were to protect their players and extend their run before the showdown against Montpellier in the next phase of the competition.

The Ukrainian side stayed true to their game and opened a 6:3 lead after 10 minutes, taking advantage of Holstebro’s defensive mistakes.

With the Danish team playing their final game of the season in the top European competition, the pressure was off for Holstebro, and it was no surprise that the hosts managed an 8:3 partial to take a 11:9 lead after 17 minutes. 

Left wing Magnus Bramming was in superb form, as the VELUX EHF Champions League top goal scorer put the ball in the net five times in the first half.

TTH's second-half slowdown

It soon became clear that TTH's 75% shot efficiency in the first half could not be sustained in the second period, and a 4:1 run from Motor in the first five minutes turned the game on its head.

Spurred by a huge game from Artem Kozakevych, who scored five times in the first 15 minutes of the second half, the Ukrainian side opened a three-goal lead at 23:20, only to see it cut to one goal at 25:24 with five minutes left.

But even that narrow advantage was enough for Motor, as Holstebro’s defence was no match for the Ukrainian champions in crunch time, and the guests claimed their sixth consecutive win in the competition.