The Budućnost handball team faced yet another setback, marking their seventh defeat of the 2024 season as they fell on the road to Esbjerg.

The final score was a decisive minus seven (26:19), although Bojana Popović’s squad remained competitive until the midpoint of the second half.

After a tightly contested first half that ended at 10:9, the Danes launched a 3:0 run to pull ahead by four (13:9). Budućnost quickly countered with two goals to narrow the gap to 13:11, but another streak of three goals from the home team effectively determined the outcome. With the score at 16:11, the “blues” never found their rhythm again, suffering from a barrage of missed shots and committing a staggering 23 turnovers by the 49th minute, eliminating any suspense about the match’s outcome.

Esbjerg’s largest lead of the match came in the 56th minute when they went ahead 23:15, leaving Budućnost to conclude the year in an unfortunate manner—with just one point gained from a match against Djerba in “Morača” during the fourth round.

Jelena Radivojević led the Budućnost offense with five goals, while Nikolina Marković added three. Ivana Godeč, Tanja Ivanović, and Jelena Vukčević each scored two, and Anastasija Marsenić, Klara Monti Danijelson, Ivona Pavićević, Nina Bulatović, and Nađa Kadović contributed one goal apiece. In goal, Armel Atingre shone with 11 saves.

Sana Solberg-Isakson was the standout for Esbjerg, contributing six goals, with Heni Rejstad just behind her with five.

There will be a pause in the Champions League due to the upcoming European Championship, set to begin on November 28.

The top-tier club competition will resume on January 11 of next year, where Budućnost is scheduled to face Vipers at home.

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