Despite making several high-profile moves over the summer and losing some key players, Vipers Kristiansand picked up exactly where they had left off. The reigning champions secured their third win in a row in the new season of the EHF Champions League Women, 34:27, against Odense Håndbold.
GROUP A
Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) vs Odense Håndbold (DEN) 34:27 (16:10)
- with three goals from line player Ana Debelic and two goals from back Ragnhild Valle Dahl, Vipers finished the first half with a 6:2 run that proved the turning point of the game
- the Norwegian team also extended its winning streak in the European premium competition to nine games in a row, their best-ever – three more than their previous record
- Odense registered their worst-ever start in the competition in four seasons, conceding two losses in the first three games, as this was also their worst loss since a 32:24 drubbing against BV Borussia 09 Dortmund in February 2021
- Valle Dahl was Vipers’ top scorer, with seven goals, her best game of the season, after only managing four goals in the previous two matches
- this was also Vipers’ largest-ever win against a Danish opponent, with the previous record being a five-goal win against Odense, clinched in the previous season
Vipers display strength to make it three out of three
While the strength of their opponents is gradually increasing, Vipers show no signs of stopping. They are the first team to win three games in a row in this year’s competition. The last match was also the clearest, with Danish champions Odense never looking like they could apply pressure.
Vipers constantly changed players and rested some of their key stars, but still secured both their largest win this season and their largest win against a Danish opponent in the European premium competition.
In spite of their changes this summer, they are certainly looking like a contender and are ranked in the top three of the top defences in the competition so far, conceding only 24 goals per game in the first three matches of the season.
