2025-09-24 20:38

One Veszprém HC played their third EHF Champions League match of the season, this time away in the home of Dinamo Bucharest.
The Veszprém squad traveled to Romania prior to the clash, holding a light training session to prepare for the big game and familiarize themselves with the arena. Dinamo Bucharest are known for their strength on home court, so the visitors were well aware that a tough test awaited them. The encounter carried not only prestige but also significant weight in the group stage, especially as this was Veszprém’s second away fixture of the campaign.

The atmosphere immediately set a lightning pace from the opening whistle. Veszprém’s first attack ended successfully, with Marguc opening the scoring. Just moments later, Martinovic doubled the tally with a fast break. Dinamo, however, quickly struck back, and the visitors’ lead was short-lived. In the 3rd minute, Elísson was sent off for a foul, putting Veszprém down a man — a disadvantage the hosts capitalized on to level the score. Matters worsened with a two-minute suspension for Pechmalbec, forcing the visitors into more time shorthanded. Much of the first half was spent battling through these man-down situations, with both sides engaged in a fierce physical contest where every goal had to be earned. At 6–6, both goalkeepers, Iancu and Corrales, delivered key saves that highlighted the high stakes of the match.

As the game moved into the second quarter, the tension rose even further, with Dinamo taking the lead and energizing the home crowd. The Romanians defended aggressively, often with heavy contact, sending several Veszprém players to the floor after collisions. The arena was boiling with energy, every move met with roars or whistles. Yet Veszprém refused to back down. Marguc again proved decisive, finishing off a well-timed attack to tie things up at 10–10. Dinamo called a timeout to halt the visitors’ momentum. In the closing stages of the half, both teams emphasized defense, and the physical battles continued. The first period ended with neither side able to gain an advantage — 15–15 at halftime.

The second half began with the score still level, but Veszprém seemed calmer after the break and managed to build a two-goal lead. The game remained turbulent, however, as mistakes on both ends led to quick shifts in momentum. After a turnover left Veszprém’s goal empty, Dinamo punished with a full-court strike to tie it at 18–18. Soon after, another suspension left the visitors short-handed, and once again the home side capitalized to regain the lead. Misfortune continued as Ligetvári was also sent off, extending Veszprém’s time in numerical disadvantage. Each Veszprém goal was immediately answered — Hesham’s thunderbolt was quickly canceled out by yet another empty-net score for Dinamo. The middle of the second half turned into an emotional rollercoaster, with neither team able to pull away. At 22–22, another timeout was called — this time to calm tempers and reset before the final stretch.

In the last ten minutes, Veszprém gradually took control, opening up a three-goal lead. Dinamo’s newly introduced goalkeeper Cupara made several big saves, but Corrales was equally sharp on the other side, denying Rosta Miklós at a critical moment to preserve the lead. As the match reached its climax, Veszprém’s effort and determination paid off. Defensive anchors Ligetvári and Pechmalbec battled ferociously, while Remili’s surging runs widened the gap to four goals (24–28). In the 57th minute, Martinovic won a penalty, but Elísson’s shot was brilliantly stopped by Cupara, leaving Dinamo with a glimmer of hope. Yet the outcome was already sealed: the Romanians could not close the gap, and One Veszprém HC deservedly celebrated a hard-fought away victory.

Dinamo Bukarest - One Veszprém HC 27-30 (15-15)

One Veszprém HC: Appelgren, Corrales - Petrus, Martinovic 3, Descat, Hesham 4, Elísson 4, Ligetvári, Marguc 3, Cindric 1, Remili 7, ElDeraa 1,  Pechmalbec 2, Adel 5, Molnár, Zein.

Dinamo Bukarest: Cupara, Iancu – Vujovic 2, Nistor, Dedu, Blazejewicz, Valdés 3, Negru, Pascual 1, Langaro 7, Stanciuc, Rosta 3, Akimenko 3, Pelayo 3, Lumbroso 5, Militaru.

7 meters: 2/3 and 2/3.

2 mins suspensions: 4 mins and 12 mins.

STATEMENTS

HANIEL LANGARO

We know that the Champions League is a very tough competition, and here you simply cannot afford to make mistakes. At the start of the season, we changed coach, we have many new players, so we must keep working hard. Today we played really well, we improved a lot. But we need to work even harder – that’s the only solution. I really enjoy playing in this arena, with this atmosphere and these fans. We need this energy and this support. We have to start winning, because after three games we still have no points, and if we want to achieve our goal – to qualify further – we must start getting victories.

DRAGAN PECHMALBEC

It was a very difficult match, but we have the ability to win these kinds of games more easily. In the first half, we played quite poorly. We went into the locker room with the score tied, but I felt we were not playing at our best level. Still, we managed to take the two points. In the Champions League, this is extremely important if we want to reach our goals. I’m satisfied with our second half.

#RedUnited #HandballCity #StrongerTogether

MEGOSZTÁS