Strong CSKA claim first win of the season
Relying heavily on their strong back line, CSKA began their DELO EHF Champions League 2021/22 season with a 34:27 win against Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK.
GROUP B
CSKA (RUS) vs Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK (TUR) 34:27 (16:15)
- signed this summer by CSKA from DELO EHF Champions League runners-up Brest Bretagne, Slovenian right back Ana Gros was the Russian side’s top scorer, with 10 goals
- Gros scored four of CSKA’s first six goals in the second half to put her side ahead 22:18 after 34 minutes
- Kastamonu's 3:0 run cut the gap to only one goal, but CSKA answered with a 5:0 run after coach Florentin Pera's well-taken timeout
- the Turkish champions are one of three sides that have lost their first two games this season. With a goal difference of -13 goals, they are currently eighth in group B
- after their first win of the season, CSKA will travel next week to Györ, while Kastamonu face Krim Mercator Ljubljana in search of their first win this season
Pera wins the Romanian coaches’ battle
Romania and Denmark are the only countries with three coaches in this season's DELO EHF Champions League, and the two Romanian coaches who ply their trade for foreign teams clashed on Sunday in Moscow.
As CSKA imposed their will on the game with a superb performance from their backs, Florentin Pera came out as the winner. Notably, Ana Gros, Elena Mikhaylichenko, Polina Vedekhina and Antonina Skorobogatchenko combined for 20 goals.
But for Pera and Costica Buceschi, Kastamonu’s coach, they still have plenty of work to finetune their teams in the competition.
We did not show a good defence. Kastamonu scored 15 goals in the first half. We need to be more concentrated. But I talked to the team during the break and we played better in the second half. And after that it was easier to win. I also want to highlight the game of (Karina) Sabirova in defence.
It was a hard game for us. CSKA is a good opponent with great players. Our main problem was our defence — it was like an open door. We need to work on it. We were fighting, but it was not enough for a good result.
