Atticgo CBM Elche faces a crucial test in the return leg at Esperanza Lag if they want to keep their European campaign alive after a 27-26 loss on the road to Madeira Andebol in the first leg of the round of 16. The match tipped in Madeira’s favor early, as Elche began slowly and then found themselves needing a late surge to stay in the contest.
Atticgo Elche coach determined to “take advantage of our good moments” against Madeira
In the opening phases, the Elche lineup showed glimpses of quality that suggested a potential breakthrough. Morales stood out with his decisive saves and accurate finishing, lifting the team during key moments. Yet the Portuguese side answered with a rapid counterattack that shifted momentum and produced a 4-0 burst that flipped the scoreboard at 10-10 by the eighteenth minute. A timeout called by Rocamora halted Madeira’s momentum, just as the visitors regained their footing.
The balance swung again as Elche asserted control with a barrage led by Van Zijl during a late first-half spell. A defensive lapse combined with an offbeat error in the closing moments of the first period summed up a tense chapter for the Elche side, underscoring how quickly fortunes can change in a European knockout setting.
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The second half kept a tight tone, with Rocamora’s squad maintaining a slight edge but failing to widen the gap as the minutes ticked by. Morales continued to shine, delivering consistent attacking contributions that kept Elche in touch. Madeira, however, gathered momentum as the clock wore on, stretching the difference and turning the game into a test of resilience for the visitors.
finish in tow
Duarte opened the late period with a goal that gave Madeira a short-lived domestic lead, the first real advantage of the night for either side. Van Zijl answered promptly to restore parity, but the Elche side could not recapture the performance that had sparked their earlier play. So Delgado stood out as the top scorer with seven marks, yet the team could not sustain the final charge needed for victory.
With the score tied at crucial junctures, Madeira built a late sequence that pushed the lead to two, and then three, as the clock wound down. The Elche defense did not manage to neutralize Cruz Oliveira’s imposing presence, which limited the opponents’ vulnerabilities and kept the outcome in the balance for a tense finish.
Elche’s final possession offered a glimmer of hope but did not deliver the necessary breakthrough. A move from the wing forced a seven-meter strike that Portugal’s Méndez converted, sealing the pivotal moment. The result leaves the tie open and sets the stage for a dramatic rematch in the return leg.
The rematch is scheduled for next Saturday at 19:00 in the Esperanza Lag pavilion, where the Elche women are pursuing a strong showing in Europe’s third competition for the second consecutive season.
MATCH COMMITTEE
Madeira Gois, Mandic, Santos, Nascimento Henrique, Moniz, Barros, Potre, Damascena, Maria Duarte, Mitrovic, Rodrigues, Neide Duarte, Souza, Langa, Pinto Maia, Cruz Oliveira.
ATTICGO ELCHE Morales, Carratú, Zhukova, Van Zijl, Oppedal, Guilabert, Méndez, So Delgado, Gascó, Flores, Benítez, Wolfs, Bernabé, Do Nascimento, Rosa.
EACH 5′ POINTS: 2-4, 4-7, 6-10, 10-12, 13-13, 14-16, 17-18, 18-19, 19-20, 21-22, 23-23, 27-26.
REFEREES: Michal Fabryczny and Jakub Rawicki.
PAVILION: Pavilhao do Funchal.