Storhamar seemed to be out of the game for a long time away against the powerhouse FTC Hungaria. But then the Norwegian cup winners woke up and came within seconds of a major upset.
After just over 20 minutes, Storhamar was trailing 14–6, and it seemed like FTC Hungaria had already secured the two points. But the Norwegians refused to give up, and thanks in large part to nine-goal scorer Anniken Obaidli, they kept closing the gap.
Storhamar got so close that they had a chance to leave Hungary with a point, but it wasn’t meant to be for the visitors, and the final score was 26–25.
– We struggled a lot in the first half, but in the second half, we had better defense and took advantage of our chances. I am very pleased with our performance, said head coach Kenneth Gabrielsen after the match, according to the EHF.
In the same group, Metz HB convincingly defeated Nykøbing Falster 30–22.
Metz currently leads the group, three points ahead of FTC Hungaria. Storhamar sits in sixth place, which is the last playoff spot, with two rounds left to play.
Results:
Group A
Krim Mercator Ljubljana–CS Gloria 2018 BN 28–25
FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria–Storhamar Handball Elite 26–25
Metz Handball–Nykøbing Falster Håndbold 30–22
Group B
Buducnost–Odense Håndbold 24–33