Györ continue home winning streak with a clear win
The Hungarian team opened 2023 with a clear win over Storhamar to keep it tight between the first four teams in group B. More experienced, Györ got off to a good start off in the first half, but Storhamar did not let go easily and were able to close the gap on a few occasions with some strong defence. In the second half, though, they could not keep up with the star players of Györ, suffering their sixth straight defeat in the EHF Champions League.
Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN) vs Storhamar Handball Elite (NOR) 39:26 (17:13)
- Estelle Nze Minko and Stine Oftedal led Györ to an early lead and Storhamar responded by individually marking Oftedal, which slowed down Györ for a period of time
- Sofie Ege Grønlund made Györ sweat ten minutes in, with four saves out of nine attempts, but a later four-goal run saw the home team take a six-goal lead
- Storhamar, closed the gap to 12:15, thanks to a set of goals by Anniken Obaidli and Olivia Löfqvist closed the gap to only 12:15
- Silje Solberg, started in net in the second half and stopped Storhamar's first five shots, keeping them goalless until the 35th minute; she finished the game with 12 saves and a 46% save efficiency
- after Ambros Martin's team secured a nine-goal lead with ten minutes left, every player of the home squad got their minutes on the court - 13 out of 14 field players scored at least once with an additional goal by Silje Solberg
Strong home performance
Following a September 2022 defeat versus Metz Handball, the Hungarian side has guarded their home court. A 39:26 win over Storhamar on Saturday afternoon was their fourth home win of the season and proved to be a good one for boosting confidence. After an away defeat against Rapid Bucuresti and a narrow win over Buducnost in Podgorica, it was obvious Györ needed a short break to reconsolidate and come back stronger. Showing their skills and power over a Norwegian side it seems like they did exactly that. The proof: 39 goals were scored from every position, including goalkeeper, with every player getting playing time.
Our opponent never gave up, but in the second half we were able to control the game better even if they pushed us very hard.
It is difficult to play better against such a good team like Győr, but we were able to come back into the game 3 times. It is good for us to learn and use this experience for the future.
