NEWS

21.09.2016

HANDBALL

Beşiktaş Mogaz HT kick-off CL campaign with tight win over ABC/UMinho

Cheered on by a vocal home crowd and determined to make a positive start to the VELUX EHF Champions League, Beşiktaş Mogaz HT remained close to their Portuguese visitors early on, and responded to a series of goals by Pedro Spinola with the hot-shooting Captain Ramazan Döne to take a 10-8 lead after 16 minutes. ABC/UMinho used the scoring of Hugo Rocha to prevent the Black Eagles from running away with the match, but the experienced line player Tolga Özbahar stepped up to give Beşiktaş Mogaz HT a 21-18 advantage at the break.
The Black and Whites  continued to keep the game in control after the intermission and began to add to their lead with the Serbian centre back Nemanja Pribak, only to see the Portuguese refusing to surrender and pull within 30-27 midway through the second half. Facing stiff resistance, Beşiktaş Mogaz HT had to tighten up defensively down the stretch to squeeze out a hard-fought  33-31 victory at home and claim their first win in Group D. Ramazan Döne led all scores with 9 goals.