However, the visitors dominated in the other matches, as five teams secured away victories, with Motherson Mosonmagyarovari KC eliminating Larvik from the race for the top two spots in group A, Tertnes Bergen surprising HC Lokomotiva in Zagreb and CS Rapid Bucuresti cruising past VfL Oldenburg in group C. Last year's bronze medallists, JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball, and Viborg HK continue to dominate in group D, while Nykøbing Falster Håndbold and HSG Blomberg-Lippe shared the points in group B.
HIGHLIGHT MATCHES
GROUP A
In a close match, CS Minaur Baia Mare celebrated an important victory in Romania, as they recovered from a poor start before completing a comeback. With that being said, Thüringer HC held an early lead (6:5) in the 13th minute, but the motivated hosts were determined to secure the points. Once Yuliya Dumanska — who boasted 11 saves at 30 per cent efficiency — and her teammates took control of the result, the reigning champions found it difficult to regain the lead, although Herbert Müller's squad kept the passionate Romanian supporters on their toes throughout the second half. Finally, a three-goal run in the last minutes settled the winner, with Baia Mare’s Jessica Quintino Ribeiro (eight goals) outscoring Thüringer’s Johanna Reichert (seven goals).
