Markéta Jerábková was the big player of the match in Aquarama. The Czech full-back scored 11 times as Vipers Kristiansand beat Bucharest 35-29 in the Champions League on Saturday night. – It was incredible. We played a fantastic game. It was good to bounce back after two games that weren’t so good. Now we can be satisfied, says Jerábková. – She was very good. She has had some matches that have not been quite top, so it was good that she got this match, says Vipers coach Ole Gustav Gjekstad. – She plays a fantastic match. But today I think the whole line is working well in attack. But all credit to “Maki”, it’s just a matter of continuing like this, says Vipers goalkeeper Katrine Lunde. See the reactions after the match here: Vipers thus moved up to first place in their Champions League group, but Germany’s Bietigheim can regain the top of the table with a win away to Denmark’s Odense tomorrow. – In order to keep up with the top two, this was very important. If we had lost today, it would have been a long way to get there. Now we’re in, says Gjekstad. – The victory was important. Now we will meet Bietigheim and FTC at home. This was important to keep up with the top of the group, says Jerábková. Even first half It was the visitors from Romania who started the match best. After barely eight minutes, Bucharest was up to a 5-2 lead. But the Vipers hit back, thanks to several goals from top scorer Markéta Jerábková. At halftime, Bucharest was up to a narrow 10-9 lead. – Bucharest comes in a hundred from the start. But you see them getting tired, and then we win deservedly, says Lunde. Sunniva Næs Andersen tries his hand from the edge. Photo: Tor Erik Schrøder / NTB Throughout the half, the teams followed each other closely. But after Katrine Lunde struck with a couple of saves, the Vipers were level for the first time after 22 minutes. Then it read 12-12. Two minutes later, the home team was in the lead for the first time in the game. The TV commentators called the attack that gave the Vipers a 14-13 lead “champagne handball”. At the break it was 15-15 in Aquarama. Emilie Hegh Arntzen met old teammates in Aquarama, but had to see herself beaten on her former home ground. Photo: Tor Erik Schrøder / NTB Vipers pulled away after the break The second half started equally evenly, but after five minutes of play the Vipers started pulling away. After 38 minutes, the home team led 20–17. That lead kept the Vipers going throughout the half. Midway through the half, it was 25-21 to the Vipers. After a scoring show from Vipers’ Czech fullback Markéta Jerábková, Vipers beat Romanian Bucharest 35–29. Jerabkova finished with a total of 11 scores. After tonight’s game, the Vipers are at the top of their group. But German Bietigheim can go past with a win in their match away to Danish Odense on Sunday. With today’s victory, the Vipers passed Bucharest. The top two places in the group give a direct place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. – I think the girls really fight in the second half. Then we fight them out of style, and get them punished in our counterplay. This was good, says Vipers coach Ole Gustav Gjekstad. Jamina Roberts at the moment of the shot against Bucharest. Photo: Tor Erik Schrøder / NTB
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