Last 16 ticket for Berlin, first win for Motor

GROUP D

Skanderborg-Aarhus (DEN) vs Füchse Berlin (GER) 28:29 (16:15)

A Dane - Hans Lindberg - was top scorer with eight goals and another Dane - Mathias Gidsel - scored the winning strike, but both for Füchse Berlin, not the Danish hosts. Like in the first match (30:24), Skanderborg-Aarhus were an extremely tough nut to crack for Füchse Berlin, and this time, the Danish side even had the much better start, leading 8:3. With goalkeeper Viktor Kireev improving, Berlin managed to bridge the gap right after the break and were ahead several times - but had to wait for the final buzzer to be confirmed winners. Ten seconds before the end, Gidsel scored to make it 29:28, then Skanderborg's last shot, a direct free-throw, hit the post. Skanderborg-Aarhus remain second with eight points, four points below Berlin.

HC Motor (UKR) vs Aguas Santas Milaneza (POR) 30:24 (13:8)

Ten goals by new European League top scorer Ihor Turchenko and 13 saves for goalkeeper Genadii Komok were the keys for Motor’s first group phase victory. After the draw at Aguas Santas last week, Motor were fully dominant in the second duel. An 8:3 flying start set the tone, and from that moment on the Portuguese side never came closer than three goals before the break. In the second half, the visitors scored a 6:1 run to level the score 14:14, but then Motor took the upper hand again and kept the lead for a final score of 30:25. Top scorer for Aguas Santas was Rui Miguel Perrira with seven strikes. Motor are on three points, Milaneza remain on one.

HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD) vs Bidasoa Irun (ESP) 29:29 (17:16)

A pure thriller in the final minutes of a roller-coaster ride ended with a deserved draw that made the visitors happier than the hosts. In the first 20 minutes, no team managed to forge ahead significantly, but then Eurofarm Pelister managed four goal leads on two occasions. They remained ahead, but then with the score of 22:21, Irun scored a 5:1 run to take the lead, 26:23. Now, it was time to strike back for the Macedonians and with a 3:0 run they made it 26:26. Despite a one-man disadvantage after a red card against Thomas Tesoriere, Gorka Nieto seemed to bring Irun to a win with the score, 29:27 with less than two minutes left. In the last minute, however, Goce Ojleski and Mario Tankoski struck twice for the hosts, but still the match was not over as Eurofarm Pelister blocked Irun’s last two shots. The Spanish side remain third with seven points, while the Bitola based home side are fourth on five points, two ahead of Motor.