2025-04-18 23:05

We avenged our earlier defeat on home ground, beating local rivals OTP Bank-Pick Szeged 36–33 in the One Veszprém Arena, extending our lead in the K&H League to eight points.

Eight minutes, ten goals, four two-minute suspensions – that's how the third clash of the season between One Veszprém and OTP Bank-Pick Szeged began. It was the second meeting in the K&H League and the first one held in the One Veszprém Arena this season, of course, in front of a full house.

Both defences held firm, it was a real battle with back-and-forth action. Richárd Bodó on one side and Mikita Vailupau on the other needed treatment after staying down following a collision. For most of the first half, the score remained even, ending 17–17 at halftime after Roland Mikler saved Sergei Kosorotov’s free throw after the buzzer.

Our Russian left back had already scored four goals by halftime, the same as left winger Hugo Descat, while Richárd Bodó and Mario Sostaric led the scoring for the visitors. Neither goalkeeper managed to get into rhythm – only five total saves in the first half – but both teams shot with around 80% accuracy, so the draw was a fair result after thirty minutes.

We opened the second half with strong defense, and as chants of "Építők, Építők!" and "Fight, fight!" echoed from the stands, we gained a two-goal advantage, helped by a lucky goal from Luka Cindric – a blocked pass fell right back into his hands, and he scored without hesitation. Then, with a goal from Hugo Descat, we went ahead by three for the first time (23–20).

Kristóf Palasics made three saves in the first ten minutes of the second half, and as our lead grew to four goals, the tension also increased. The game got physical at times, and both Nedim Remili (playing his 100th game for Veszprém) and Borut Mackovsek received two-minute suspensions. After a controversially long video review, Ludovic Fabregas and Bence Bánhidi were also sent off, leading to a rare sight in handball: five attackers playing against four defenders.

Despite the chaos, our lead did not shrink, thanks to two goals from Lukas Sandell, a penalty from Descat, a missed shot from Sebastian Frimmel that hit the post, and a wild shot from Bodó, who blasted the ball a meter and a half over the goal from a clean shooting position. Palasics then saved two more of Bodó’s shots within 24 seconds.

In the closing minutes, we maintained our lead and managed the clock smartly. The outcome was already decided a few minutes before the final whistle – the 36–33 win not only gave us the two points but also secured our spot in the league final. After the whistle, our fans stood and celebrated with the team.

ONE VESZPRÉM HC – OTP BANK-PICK SZEGED 36–33 (17–17)

VESZPRÉM: Corrales – Vailupau 4, Remili 5, Fabregas 3, Grahovac, Kosorotov 8, Descat 9 (4). Substitutes: Palasics (GK), Casado 2, Sandell 2, Pechmalbec 1, Cindric 2, Marguc, Ligetvári. Coach: Xavier Pascual

SZEGED: Thulin – Sostaric 7 (1), Garciandia 6, Smárason 3, Bánhidi 5, Bodó 4, Frimmel 3 (1). Substitutes: Mikler R. (GK), Mackovsek 2, Kalarash 2, Kukic 1, Toto, Röd. Coach: Michael Apelgren

Venue: One Veszprém Arena, 4,900 spectators.

Referees: Ádám Bíró, Olivér Kiss.

Suspensions: 12 minutes (Veszprém), 14 minutes (Szeged).

Penalties: 4/4 (Veszprém), 3/2 (Szeged).

POST-MATCH QUOTES

Xavier Pascual: I want to thank the fans – the atmosphere at all three matches against Szeged has been incredible. It was a bit of a surprise to me how much people love handball here. We were slightly better than them. The first half was balanced, but in the second, Palasics made a few important saves, and we held onto the lead we gained. We deserved the win.

Michael Apelgren: Veszprém claimed a well-deserved victory, though we felt we had a chance to take points. They played better after the break and looked more comfortable thanks to the early lead. Small things made the difference. The atmosphere was fantastic – this is one of the toughest venues to play in all of Europe.

Sergei Kosorotov: It was a great match. Thanks to Szeged and to the fans for showing up in such large numbers.

Roland Mikler: It always feels good to come back and play here, even as an opponent. These days, it comes down to small things which tip the balance. I think if we’d had more defensive support in the second half, the result might’ve gone our way. But this is how it turned out. We fought for the full sixty minutes, and I want to thank the Szeged fans for coming. I hope we’ll have many more games like this!

#RedUnited #HandballCity #StrongerTogether

MEGOSZTÁS