After seven consecutive losses, Buducnost BEMAX shocked Brest Bretagne Handball with a flawless second-half performance, to earn their first win of the season, 30:28, against the French champions.

GROUP A

Buducnost BEMAX (MNE) vs Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) 30:28 (13:16)

• the French side looked poised to extend their winning streak to three games, after jumping into an early 3:0 run, powered by two goals from line player Pauletta Foppa. It took them into a commanding 8:5 lead
• Buducnost, who scored the largest number of goals this season, produced a superb comeback in the second half, to take their first win of the season
• Buducnost’s centre back Matea Pletikosic had her best-ever career DELO EHF Champions League performance, scoring 12 goals, one more than her previous record from February 2021, when she played for RK Krim Mercator against Vipers Kristiansand
• the Montenegrin side earned their 150th Champions League win in history to become the second side in the competition to reach that mark after Gyori Audi ETO KC
• Brest lost their fourth of five away games and dropped to fifth in the standings, tied with CSM Bucuresti

Are Buducnost a keeper?

There were heavy losses and the worst start in history in the DELO EHF Champions League for Buducnost BEMAX, who had an eight-game losing streak heading into the home match against Brest Bretagne Handball. With an inexperienced team, the Montenegrin powerhouse was still waiting for their 150th win in the European premium competition and it looked like they would have to wait until 2022.

But the wait ended thanks to a superb comeback in the second half against last season’s finalist. Buducnost scored 30 goals, for the first time since February 2021, and boasted a superb 67% shot efficiency to take the win. Sixth place is still some distance away, a five-point gap with six games to go, but Buducnost’s project needed a serious boost, which was well-deserved in their last game in 2021.