LAST 16 REVIEW: After a draw in the first leg in Zaporozhye, Kielce won by five goals at home in the second leg against the Allied champions and Rush on to the quarter-final
The Other Day at Zaporozhye, HC Motor Zaporozhye gave a PGE Vive Kielce a hard battle, together with the game ending in a 33:33 draw. But on home court at the next leg, the champions were stronger — and a 34:29 win secured a VELUX EHF Champions League quarterfinal berth.
- Kielce will fulfill Paris SaintGermain from the quarter-final
- Motor Zaporozhye’d attained the Last 16 for the next time however are yet to move Additional
- Uladzislau Kulesh and Alex Dujshebaev were Kielce’s top scorers with six goals each
- Artem Kozakevych scored seven goals for Motor Zaporozhye
Even the 2015/16 VELUX EHF Champions League winners out of Kielce started the game strongly. Two back court goals from Uladzislau Kulesh set the tone, and the home side went on to lead 5:2 later eight minutes and raised their cause 10:6 midway during the first half.
Zaporozhye’s coach Mykola Stepanets chosen to play with with an extra attacking player that bore fruit as the people sunk the gap to 13:12 at the 26th minute. However, Kielce’s 4:0 encounter helped them to create an appropriate five-goal advantage at the break. Especially, goal keeper Vladimir Cupara had a direct effect, scoring out of their or her own half in a vacant net.
Not now! 🛑🙅♂️ Cupara produces a big save on a punishment to assist @kielcehandball stay in control in the early #veluxehfcl Last 16 coNFLict of the afternoon pic.twitter.com/DvfkiguX6p
Artem Kozakevych, the very first leg’s top scorer with nine goals, spent the first half in Kielce on the seat. But first in the second halfhe scored four goals in five moments, helping Zaporozhye to reduce the gap to 19:17.
But, that merely made the hosts respond, and they also increased the pressure to take a six-goal lead (26:20) at the 43rd minute) Yet Motor did not stop trying, and a series of excellent saves by Victor Kireev maintained them at the game.
Only at 29:26 six minutes in the time, the side still hoped to turn the game around. However, Kielce had a powerful finish and eventually clinched a quarter final ticket having a 34:29 win.
TEXT: Sergey Nikolaev / jw
