Prior to their meeting, both BV Borussia 09 Dortmund and HC Podravka Vegeta were bottom of group B with two points, and both were eager to end their long-lasting losing runs.

And it was the German side who managed to do it, claiming a hard-fought 32:31 win.

Group B

BV Borussia 09 Dortmund (GER) vs HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO) 32:31 (13:12)

• Dortmund ended their six-match losing run and have four points; Podravka lost their seventh straight game to stay on two points
• the German side claimed their first ever home victory in the DELO EHF Champions League; prior to this match, they won just once in the competition, away against the same Podravka (26:25)
• Podravka led 10:7 by minute 21, yet a 6:2 run put Dortmund in front at half-time
• the second half also featured a tight battle, but Laura van der Heijden’s goal 11 seconds from the buzzer proved to be the winner
• van der Heijden and her teammate Inger Smits were joint top scorers of the game with eight goals

Good goalkeeping was not enough

In-form Yuliya Dumanska recorded 18 saves for Podravka, including 12 in the first half, and her teammate Magdalena Ecimovic added three more saves late in the match. However, the goalkeepers’ effort was not enough to earn even a draw away at Dortmund.