EHF Champions League

Bietigheim shock reigning champions with superb win

EHF / Adrian Costeiu

09 October 2022, 18:20

Vipers Kristiansand recorded their first loss since February 2022 in the EHF Champions League Women, eventually falling down to Bietigheim’s challenge as the German side extended their unbeaten streak to 60 games.

The German side clinched a 32:30 win after a roller coaster game which saw five lead changes, even though Vipers led late by as many as three goals.

GROUP A

SG BBM Bietigheim (GER) vs Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) 32:30 (16:17)

Bietigheim are now on a 60-game unbeaten run, dating back to March 2021, in all competitions, which has 59 wins and a single draw
the hosts enjoyed a 8:3 run to finish the match, which saw Kaba Gassama and Trine Jensen Østergaard each score twice to block Vipers’ path to the win
the Norwegian side had a record nine-game winning streak snapped this afternoon by Bietigheim, with Vipers’ last loss in the European top competition coming in February 2022 against Metz Handball
after an outstanding match against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, Bietigheim’s goalkeeper, Melinda Szikora, had another superb outing, saving 17 shots for a 36.9% efficiency
Bietigheim still have the top attack in the competition, scoring 125 goals in four matches, but have lost the crown for the best defence, conceding 101 goals, three more than Györ, the only side not to have conceded 100 goals

A new powerhouse round the block?

It was a roller coaster of a game, which Vipers started with a 5:1 lead, preventing Bietigheim from scoring for over five minutes. By that time, backs Marketa Jerabkova and Anna Vyakhireva had already scored two goals each and it was looking like Vipers were cruising to their 10^th consecutive win in the EHF Champions League Women.

The two players combined for only eight goals at the end of the match, with Jerabkova adding a single goal, as Vipers’ attack started relying on Rangnhild Dahl, another back which has had a good season so far.

But Bietigheim’s transition from the EHF European League Women winners to bona-fide EHF Champions League Women powerhouse was complete, as the German side used their excellent team spirit and unity to claw its way back, finishing the match with a 8:3 run and downing Vipers for the first time this season.

A German team has never made it to the EHF FINAL4 so far in the current era of the European premium competition, but Bietigheim are definitely worth watching this season. They have the strength and the potential to do it and will likely have changed their objective, after being undefeated after four matches.

Wow! #SGBietigheim stuck in there when they looked out of the match in the second half to take the win over Viper! 🔥

That's HUGE for the German side! #ehfcl #HandmadeHistory pic.twitter.com/xgbqtNt5fV
— EHF Champions League (@ehfcl) October 9, 2022

We are not the only one, who were on fire. The whole crowd in the arena was on fire. We had a great atmosphere. It was a hard match. Vipers were still in front, we had three or four weak periods and then my team came back, which was a great move of my team. My girls still believe in their strength and that was the key for this win.

Markus Gaugisch

SG BBM Bietigheim Head Coach

We knew that it would be a tough match against Bietigheim. I am not that disappointed because we had some good periods against a strong team. We have to work harder.

Ole Gustav Gjekstad

Vipers Kristiansand Head Coach