Benfica lost their unbeaten record in the group stage of the European Handball League, when they suffered defeat in group B against the Danish GOG, by 25-33, at Pavilhão nº 2 da Luz.
The team coached by Chema Rodriguez entered the field with three victories in as many matches played, but in the fourth round game it allowed the Nordic team to quickly get ahead of the inaugurated marker in the first 50 seconds. It was only after three minutes, with three goals behind, that Benfica started the count, through Demis Grigoras, but the speed in the GOG’s counterattack quickly kept the reds at a distance.
The Swede Jerry Tollbring was causing damage with every shot – in the first 30 minutes he scored seven goals in nine attempts – and the 100 percent effectiveness in the 7-meter free-kick by Petar Djordjic, the red top scorer who scored three in three, not enough to avoid the heavy gap in the result at half-time: 10-17.
On the restart, Luz started more fiercely, signed 15 goals, but Tollbring, who reached double digits of effective shots (11), assisted by the defenses of goalkeeper Torbjoern Bergerud, made the efforts of Lazar Kukic (4) or of Belone Moreira (3 goals in as many attempts) on the red side. Despite wasting two opportunities in the 7 meters in the second half, Djordjic was the one who scored the most for the hosts (6), who, this Tuesday, lost the leadership of the group.
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