In a heroic effort, the Buducnost handball team secured a point in Brittany against Brest in the penultimate round of the EHF Champions League, finishing at 23:23 in a sensational match.

Despite being against a much stronger Brest team, led by the legendary Ana Vyahireva, the “blues” delivered an outstanding performance.

Armel Atingre shone as he “brought down the curtain,” brilliantly following Tanja Ivanović’s tactical commands to create an impenetrable six-meter wall, often leaving the home players bewildered.

This was even more remarkable considering Brest had dominated the first encounter in Podgorica (35:22), but the “blues” delivered on their promise!

The players in blue showed they worked diligently, fought valiantly, and proved they could compete with top European teams. Brest, led by Olympic champion and European winner with Vipers, Anna Vyahireva, truly is a formidable opponent.

They started strong, but from the 25th minute, they began making poor decisions in attack, allowing the home team to secure a three-goal lead at halftime—13:10.

The second half saw Brest in control with a five-goal advantage in the 36th minute (16:11), but the “blues” rallied to tie the game at 17:17 following two missed attacks.

In that 15-minute stretch, Bojana Popović’s team conceded only four goals to their opponents.

The lead fluctuated until the end, with Buducnost entering the last four minutes tied and with a player advantage. However, they played hastily, allowing Brest to take the lead and hold a player advantage for the final two minutes. Vukčević successfully converted a penalty, and Atingre made a crucial save in the closing moments.

Buducnost led with a score of 6:4, showing fast-paced and clear gameplay, though they struggled with strong checks and coordination, as they are solely focused on the EHF Champions League.

Nevertheless, with Armel Atingre’s exceptional defense, Tanja Ivanović’s tactical prowess, and Jelena Vukčević’s reliable scoring, Buducnost stayed competitive.

They celebrated a crucial point, which means that with a victory against Rapid in the “Mtel Morača Hall” on February 23rd, they will advance to the knockout stage.

Vukčević led the scoring with nine goals—all from penalties—while Ivona Pavicević added four and Ivana Godeč contributed three goals.

Atingre recorded 12 saves from 34 shots, translating to a save percentage of 35.29%.

For the home team, Clarice Mero scored six goals from the same number of shots—three from penalty throws—while Melin Nokandi netted five.

BREST – BUDUCNOST 23:23 (13:10)

Venue: “Arena Brest”. Attendance: 2,500. Referees: Bočakova and Janošikova (Slovakia). Two-minute suspensions: Brest 10, Buducnost 6 minutes.

Brest line-up: Kantan, Andre (four saves), Filter (five saves), Nokandi 5, Broker, Mero 6 (3), Lasurs 1, Ondono 3, Vyahireva 2, Foret 4, Kanor, Let 1, Delaje 1, Coatanea, Jarige, Dembele.

Buducnost line-up: Atingre (12 saves), Marsenić, Hauge, Marsenić, Monti-Danijelson 1, Vukčević 9 (7), Godeč 3, Popović, Marković 1, Marsenić, Ivanović 2, Radević, Bulatović 1, Tomova, Radivojević 2, Kadović, Pavicević 4.

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