The match in Vilnius was very eventful. At 9 minutes, the visitors pulled ahead 6:3, but soon the hosts not only equalized but also took the lead 8:7. At the end of the first half, “Šviesa” increased the lead to four goals 17:13.
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After the break, the Istanbul team gradually reduced the deficit, and halfway through the second half took the lead 22:21. The “Šviesa” handball players did not give up and regained the initiative at the end of the match. At 53 minutes, the Vilnius team again gained the largest lead of the match with 4 goals, but they did not have time to eliminate the deficit.
“It’s tough because we really hoped to advance to the next stage, even after the loss in the first match. We played against a fully professional team and everything was decided by details, such as a few missed shots or mistakes in a balanced situation. In the first half, we led by four goals, ran fast breaks, but missed. The guys executed the plan perfectly. We definitely should have been in the next stage,” commented “Šviesa” coach Karolis Bliuvas.
The most productive player in the “Šviesa” team was Canadian Theodor Kuypers, who scored 8 goals, Domantas Ivanauskas and Matas Aukštikalnis scored 6 goals each, Šarūnas Ugianskis and Norwegian Tobias Fors scored 4 each, Tauras Pundinas and Ukrainian Mykyta Litvinenka scored 2 each, Ernestas Stvolas and Ukrainian Vladyslav Korzhuk scored 1 each.
“Šviesa” goalkeepers Matas Pranckevičius saved 8 shots out of 27 (30%), G. Morkūnas – 2 out of 14 (14%).
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“It must be admitted that the Turkish team is stronger, but at home we showed that we are not that weak. This season many players have changed in our team. With many young handball players arriving, we are only now starting to build the team’s play. Of course, it’s a pity that we conceded many goals in Turkey, but at home we showed character and achieved victory,” said “Šviesa” veteran M. Pranckevičius.
Last season in the European Cup tournament, “Šviesa” advanced to the third stage. Last year, starting from the second stage, the Vilnius team defeated Zaporizhzhia’s “Motor” team. In the third stage, “Šviesa” lost to Norway’s “Runar” club.
On Sunday, the second leg of the first stage of the European Cup will be played by Kaunas “Granitas-Karys”. The Kaunas team will host Nicosia’s “Omonoia 29M” club in Alytus at 5 p.m. In the first match in Cyprus, “Granitas-Karys” lost by four goals 21:25.
Lithuanian champions Klaipėda “Dragūnas” handball players qualified for the second stage according to the ranking and will start their European Cup tournament battles in October.
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