Easy victories for favourites

GROUP C

Chekhovskie Medvedi - AaB Aalborg   39:29 (20:14)

Last season´s VELUX EHF FINAL4 club Chekhovskie Medvedi, who appeared in last season’s VELUX EHF FINAL4, started their campaign with a clear victory over Danish team, AaB Aalborg.

The fight in the first leg lasted only ten minutes, after which the Russian team started its engines and it became obvious that the two teams are not at the same level.

Offensively, the Danish team did not seem to know how to utilise the ball, with their players making several unprepared throws, and so the Bears outclassed their Danish opponent.

Coach, Vladimir Maximov, gave an opportunity to his young players in the last third of the match to save his main players for bigger battles.

AaB Aalborg coach Peter Bredsdorff commented: "I’d only heard about the strength of the Russian champion, but now we have experienced it for ourselves. They were much better prepared physically, and had a well-organised defence that we simply couldn’t cope with."

GROUP D

HCM Constanta - HC Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb  23:33 (9:15) 

Romanian side, HCM Constanta, was hoping for a surprise start to their VELUX EHF Men´s Champions League campaign, as they did last year against Montpellier, but the Croatians had effectively decided the game in the first half with a 6-goal lead, which became a clear 10 goals by the end.

Key players for the victory were the excellent goalkeeper, Marin Šego, with 22 saves and Ljubo Vukić who scored an incredible 13 goals, certainly his best and most effective performance in a European match.

Zagreb coach, Nenad Kljaić, started without Ivano Balić who had not trained for a week because of back pains.

Despite a red card for defensive specialist, Jakov Gojun, the Croats had no problems with their opponents, who looked-on helplessly as back players Kopljar and Vukić scored some marvelous goals.

This victory was a great start for the Zagreb-based team, whilst the Romanian audience has never experienced such a crushing defeat at the beginning of this elite competition.

Now the team from the Black Sea coast will have to fight for the group’s fourth place with HC Bosna Sarajevo and Russian newcomers of St. Petersburg HC.

Text: Márk Hegedüs