In the first half in particular, Borussia didn’t do much, the improvement in performance in the second half came too late. The most successful throwers at BVB were captain Alina Grijseels (nine goals), Mia Zschocke and Merel Freriks (three goals each).
More than 2,000 fans in the hall
The scenery in the Helmut-Körnig-Halle in Dortmund matched the importance of the game. More than 2,000 spectators came to support the Borussia Dortmund women’s handball players in this historic game – more than ever at a BVB women’s home game.
Despite the support from the ranks, the handball team from Borussia Dortmund made a false start. The Borussia women had difficulties in getting clear shots and did not consistently convert their few shots. On the other hand, the favored guests from Metz created various opportunities in the first few minutes and were already 4-0 up after just six minutes.
First BVB time out after a few minutes
In the meantime, Mia Zschocke reduced the goal to 1:4 with the first goal for the Black and Yellows. But the handball players from Metz extended their lead to 6:1 a short time later with two more goals. And so BVB coach André Fuhr took over a time-out after just under eight minutes. “You don’t have to be afraid“, he said to his players. “Be braver.”
The speech initially had an effect. Goals from Alina Grijseels and Mia Zschoke brought Borussia back four goals, after a quarter of an hour the score was 4:8 from Borussia Dortmund’s point of view. But as a result, the handball players from Metz pulled ahead of the Borussia women again. The guests from France extended their lead to 11:4.
Coach Fuhr: “We have nothing to lose.“
And so BVB coach André Fuhr took over after 20 minutes the next time-out. “We’ve got nothing to lose, we’re too scared“He said. Even after this second time-out, Borussia didn’t really find their way into this Champions League game. In the meantime, the guests from Metz led with ten goals. The best BVB thrower in the first half was captain Alina Grijseels with four goals.
Increased performance in the second half
After the break, Dortmund improved their performance significantly. The best thrower in this phase was Merel Freriks, who scored three goals. In addition, BVB goalkeeper Yara Ten Holte parried several top chances. And so the Borussia women came within six goals of the guests from Metz. 15 minutes before the end it was 17:23 from BVB’s point of view.
BVB also managed to keep the gap from getting bigger. A few minutes before the end, after a counter-attack by Mia Zschocke, Borussia reduced the deficit to just five goals behind to make it 21:26 (53 rd ). In the final minutes, the guests from Metz extended their lead again, the game ended at 22:30.
second leg on Saturday
The decisive second leg in Metz is next Saturday (April 2nd, 6:00 p.m.). However, the chance of the Borussia women making it into the Final Four has become significantly smaller due to the significant defeat. Because the actual opponent in the quarter-finals, GK Rostov-on-Don, was excluded from the European association, the winner of the round of 16 qualifies directly for the final four.