Champions League: Victories of Serbian Clubs in the Third Round
Both Serbian clubs have earned three points each in the third round of the Champions League group stage.
Novi Beograd secured its third victory by defeating Waspo Hannover at home 10:8 (5:2, 0:2, 1:0, 4:4) and continued towards the top spot in Group A.
Radnički achieved a hard-fought victory against Dinamo 10:9 (0:2, 3:3, 2:1, 5:3) in Group B in Tbilisi, staying in the race for a place in the quarterfinal groups.
Novi Beograd led almost during the whole match against Hannover. The German team only managed to equalize once – 1:1. After a 5:2 lead in the first quarter, Hannover's defense significantly improved, not allowing any goals to the home team while scoring two goals themselves. With Aleksandar Radović, the 2011 European champion with Partizan, leading from the bench, the guests trailed 4:5 at halftime.
In the second half, despite poor conversion rates from extra player situations (13/3 throughout the match), Novi Beograd controlled the scoreline. Martinović increased the lead to 6:4 in the third period. The same player scored for 7:4 at the beginning of the final period. The following minutes saw goals from both sides, but in the 31st minute, Hannover, with a goal from Gansen, closed in at 8:9. A minute before the end, Novi Beograd had an extra player. Živko Gocić called a timeout, after which the hosts capitalized on their numerical advantage. Skumpakis set the final score – 10:8 for the expected, though not easy, victory of the Serbian champion.
Three goals for the Serbian champion were scored by Vlahopulos. Martinović added 2 goals, and Gbadamasi, Ćuk, Vučinić, and Dimitrijević each added one. Mark Gansen and Aleks Sekulić, the son of the German coach Miloš Sekulić, were the top scorers for Hannover with two goals each.
Novi Beograd now has four points more than second-placed Oradea, who won against Steaua after penalties today.
As in several previous Champions League matches this season (against Jug, Mladost, and Jadran), Radnički started poorly, especially in attack, in Tbilisi and had to chase the scoreline deficit. The Kragujevac team, playing without Duško Pijetlović, scored their first goal only in the 10th minute when Stanojević converted an extra player situation, having already conceded four times to the hosts.
Dinamo took a 5:1 lead with their new coach, Kehagias from Greece, who replaced our Dejan Stanojević. However, in the last minute and a half of the first half, Kragujevac managed to narrow the gap to 3:5 with goals from Nikola Jakšić from a penalty and Strahinja Rašović on a counter-attack. Uroš Stevanović's players continued the series, keeping Dinamo goalless for over eight minutes. Radnički leveled at 5:5, but before the final quarter, Boris Vapenski gave the hosts a new lead – 6:5. Nikola Jakšić, at the beginning of the fourth quarter with two goals in 29 seconds (extra player and counter-attack), gave Radnički the first lead at 7:6.
In the final minutes, Radnički's problem was the "short bench" as early in the second half Radomir Drašović received an exclusion with substitution right, while Strahinja Rašović left due to an injury at the beginning of the last quarter.
The Georgians managed to regain the lead and went up 9:8. Radnički, however, celebrated by scoring two goals in the closing moments. Ninety seconds before the end, Vasić equalized with an extra player. Radnički then forced an extra player opportunity and in their next attack. Half a minute before the final buzzer, captain Janković assisted Murišić in converting the extra player situation into the final result – 10:9 for Radnički.
Nikola Jakšić and Dušan Vasić scored three goals each for Radnički, while Rašović, Stanojević, Gavrilović, and Murišić added one goal each. Boris Vapenski and Luka Čikovani were the double scorers for Dinamo.
Kragujevac is one point behind the second-placed Jadran, whom they will host in the fourth round. The team from Split was convincingly defeated by Ferencváros tonight.
Champions League, Third Round
Group A: Steaua – Oradea 19:20 (penalties, 13:13), Novi Beograd – Waspo Hannover 10:8. Standings: Novi Beograd 9, Oradea 5, Steaua 3, Hannover 1.
Group B: Dinamo – Radnički 9:10, Ferencváros – Jadran S 18:9. Standings: Ferencváros 9, Jadran 5, Radnički 4, Dinamo 0.
