An exceptional second half from wing David Mandić, who scored seven of his eight goals in that period, and a blinder from Nebojsa Simić between the posts were key factors for Melsungen.
QUARTER-FINALS, FIRST LEG
Top scorers: David Mandić 8/8 (MT Melsungen); Rui Silva 6/9 (FC Porto)
- Melsungen profited from a strong start that saw them score three unanswered goals before Porto found the net for the first time; when the first timeout was called by Porto coach Magnus Andersson in the 16th minute, Melsungen led 6:2
- only once in the first half did Porto come close, when three strikes in a row took the score from 7:3 for Melsungen to 7:6 — but the German team responded with consecutive goals that pulled them clear ahead again and held onto a four-goal lead at the break
- Melsungen goalkeeper Nebojsa Simić got progressively stronger as the clock ticked on, finishing the first half with a huge rate of 46.67 per cent (seven saves) and tallying 14 at full-time
- again, Melsungen were fast out of the blocks when the match resumed — eight minutes into the second period, they hit a six-goal lead at 17:11
- Porto fought back, once again coming as close as one, at 19:18 in the 47th minute, but, with Mandić roaring to life and scoring three in a row, Melsungen reopened a clearer distance and had a 25:20 lead with five minutes on the clock
Melsungen continue upward trajectory
In the play-offs, Melsungen found themselves on the back foot immediately. They were shocked by the pace coming from their opponents, Fredericia Håndboldklub, and trailed the entire first leg against the Danish outfit. It was a one-sided encounter against the German club, 35:29. But Melsungen turned things around completely in the second-leg play-off, securing a huge win, 35:26, to take the aggregate victory that would see them progress to their fourth European cup quarter-final.
The quarter-final against FC Porto was the complete opposite — Melsungen had a far stronger opening. No goals against them for almost eight minutes, a handy save or two from Simić and an early lead of three goals set the tone for what was to follow as the German side eye their second straight EHF European League semi-final. Melsungen seem to be going from strength to strength, right in the crucial part of the season. Can they continue in the reverse leg in Portugal?
We had some really good spells today. Our fast-paced game worked very well. Simić was superb in defence. And I was naturally pleased that I also played quite well.
The only thing that bothers me is the result. We played well, especially in defence. We came back several times in this game. Unfortunately, we weren't consistent in converting our chances in attack.
