Lada conquer Paris in Round 2 opener

Both Issy Paris Hand and Handball Club Lada started the Women’s EHF Cup Group Phase with wins last week. In Paris on Friday night, Lada were dominant throughout the match and deservedly won 27:17 in the opening match of Round 2 this weekend.

• Lada are now leading the group with four points, Issy remain on two

• Koebenhavn and Randers will play the other group game on Saturday

GROUP B

Issy Paris Hand (FRA) vs Handball Club Lada (RUS) 17:27 (8:17)

Last week, Lada had to make a strong comeback to defeat Koebenhavn at home in their opening group match. But in Paris, the Russian league leaders looked superior from the very beginning.

Led by their captain Daria Dmitrieva and goalkeeper Elena Utkina, Lada looked solid in defence and powerful in attack, finishing the first half with an impressive 81-percent attack efficiency.

Issy head coach Arnaud Gandais desperately called for two time-outs before the break, yet they were hardly of any help as the visitors were constantly increasing the gap and finished the half with a nine-goal advantage (17:8).

The home team needed a second-half miracle to save at least one point, but it did not happen.

Although Lada looked less focused after the break, their victory was never at risk. On the contrary, the team from Togliatti won by 10 goals – the biggest win by any team in the current group phase so far.