GROUP C REVIEW: Qualifiers Thüringer HC opened their group matches campaign with an important win against a youthful Larvik side
Thüringer HC prevail at new-look Larvik
Qualifiers Thüringer HC secured a well-deserved and potentially crucial two points in Norway on Saturday afternoon, with a flurry of goals at the end of the first half proving to be the difference.
· Without injured Anne Hubinger, Thüringen lead from start to finish
· The German side lead Group C and host fellow Round 1 winners Vardar next weekend
· Larvik’s top scorer last season, Riegelhuth Koren, pregnant and will miss season
GROUP C
Larvik (NOR) vs Thüringer HC (GER) 27:31 (11:16)
A brand new Larvik team, the fourth youngest in the Women's EHF Champions League, had little chance against Thüringer HC. The German side took the lead early and never looked back, earning an impressive win.
Following a surprise win with his Austrian national team against Russia, coach Herbert Muller enjoyed another victory on Saturday afternoon.
The guests never let Larvik take the initiative, with the young Norwegian side still gelling after a busy summer on the transfer market.
A 6:2 run at the end of the first half was the stepping stone for Thüringer as the German side took a 16:11 lead at the break.
Although Larvik became more aggressive in defence, they could not find ways to stop Thüringen's attacks. With Iveta Luzumova and Beate Scheffknecht doing much of the damage in attack, the German side earned a 31:27 victory.
TEXT:
Adrian Costeiu / ap, cor