Could Leon be jumped over by Chekhov at the last second? This question was looming around today as the group phase draw to a close today.

If the Spanish side was, prior to throw-off, one point ahead of the Russian side, it had to take points in Skopje in order to remain second in the standings.

On the other hand, Metalurg were already eliminated and were just looking to wave goodbye in style to the competition.

GROUP A

HC Metalurg (MKD) vs Abanca Ademar Leon (ESP) 27:27 (16:13)

• Metalurg might play their last group phase game, as they were eliminated before throw-off, but the Skopje team still gave everything they had. With goalkeeper being the best example, with eight saves in the first thirty minutes, the hosts broke away in the last ten minutes to lead by three at the half.
• Leon turned things around after the break, thanks to better defence and a flying Gonzalo Perez Arce. The Spanish side was ahead by two with 70 seconds remaining but Metalurg reacted and made the score even five seconds before the siren, thanks to a goal by Vasilje Kaludjerovic.
• Two players scored seven: Gonzalo Perez Arce for Leon and Martin Serafimovic for Metalurg.
• Thanks to this draw, Leon have now secured the second spot of the group while Metalurg are out, finishing last.

Metalurg, with pride until the end

The team from Skopje might not have been the most exciting to watch this season, with bad defeats in Plock for instance, but tonight, they gave everything to go out of the European League in style. Battling hard, Metalurg almost created the surprise and upset a Leon that beat them by eleven in the first leg. Their last minute was a testament to their pride. While many teams would have let everything go, they chose to fight until the last second, getting a well-deserved draw.