Trebanjci so se igrali z ognjem, uspešni tudi Slovenjgradčani in Velenjčani

Gorenje Velenje advanced to the third round of the European Cup handball competition after defeating Luxembourg’s Differdange 32 to 21 in their return match held on Sunday. The victory erased a two-goal deficit incurred during the first leg, which took place at the Red Hall in Velenje and ended with a 29 to 31 loss for the home side. This result secures progression for the team coached by Žiga Lesjak, joining fellow Slovenian clubs Trim Trebnje and Slovenj Gradec who also qualified earlier in the day. The second leg began slowly for the visitors, who trailed 1 to 3 before stabilizing their defense and taking control of the game. They recorded their first lead of the encounter at 6 to 5 in the 12th minute. Nine minutes later, following a three-goal scoring run, Gorenje extended its advantage to three goals, reaching an 11 to 8 scoreline. As the halftime break approached, the team intensified its attack, achieving a four-goal margin on four separate occasions, including scores of 15 to 11, 16 to 12, 17 to 13, and 18 to 14. In the second half, Gorenje maintained a consistent lead. In the 44th minute, Vida Kačičnik scored to increase the gap to nine goals, making the score 25 to 16. The team managed this comfortable cushion effectively until the final whistle. Andrej Jankovskij was the top scorer with seven goals. Anže Blagotinšek and Aljaž Pratnekar each contributed five goals. Goalkeeper Matevž Skok made 16 saves. Differdange’s top scorers were Ballet with five goals, while Tako and Jean-Louis added four each. Trim Trebnje also secured its spot in the next stage despite losing the return match against Serbia’s Dinamo Pančevo 23 to 34. The first leg had ended 39 to 27 in favor of Trebnje. Although Trebnje controlled the first half, ending it level at 15 to 15, the Serbian hosts pulled away in the second period. By the 59th minute, the aggregate deficit had narrowed to just two goals. A missed shot by Andrej Petrić in the dying moments preserved the one-goal aggregate advantage for Trebnje. Leo Feješ led all scorers with nine goals, while Jan Jurečič added six for the visitors. Slovenj Gradc completed the qualification sweep by beating Ukraine’s Motor Zaporizhzhia 39 to 30 at home. The first leg in Michalovce, Slovakia, near the Ukrainian border, had finished in a 41 to 41 draw. Coached by Zoran Jovičič, the Slovenj Gradc squad dominated the second leg, leading from start to finish. They established a 6 to 1 early lead and frequently held a seven-goal advantage in the first half, going into halftime up 21 to 15. After the break, Zaporizhzhia briefly closed the gap to three goals, but the home team regained momentum in the final quarter, extending their lead to nine goals at times. Miha Štaleker topped the charts with ten goals, supported by nine from Veljko Stanojević. Vitaliy Horovyi scored six for the Ukrainians. All three Slovenian teams have now progressed to the third round of the competition, which is scheduled to conclude in late November. The matches marked the second round of the European Cup, the third-tier continental club competition. Gorenje’s win came in front of a home crowd at the Red Hall, while the other two victories were achieved under varying conditions of travel and aggregate pressure. The statistical records show Gorenje converting four of five penalty shots compared to Differdange’s zero of three. Exclusion time totaled eight minutes for Gorenje and twelve for Differdange.