BVB handball women celebrate shock win over Bucharest

The BVB women's handball team achieved an unexpected victory over Bucharest in a match that started intensely. Dortmund initially struggled to find their rhythm against a strong Bucharest defense. Ona Vegué scored the first goal for the Black and Yellows. Bucharest capitalized on Dortmund's mistakes, leading by five goals by the tenth minute.

Coach Kay Rothenpieler made his first timeout substitution. Dana Bleckmann replaced Guro Nestaker, and Laetitia Quist substituted Alieke van Maurik. Quist had initially been used primarily in defense. BVB improved and scored several times, but failed to close the gap significantly. Both teams regrouped for halftime with the score at 13:20.

In the second half, Dortmund made more adjustments, playing with seven outfield players in attack and a 5:1 formation in defense. Despite Bucharest scoring first in the second half, BVB began to build momentum. Alieke van Maurik scored the 21st goal in the 40th minute. Lara Egeling and Nicole Wiggins added more points, narrowing the gap.

Guro Nestaker equalized the score at 24:24. The teams fought hard, but Bucharest regained the lead. Rothenpieler made his second timeout substitution, which proved effective. Merel Freriks scored for BVB, and Guro Nestaker added another goal shortly after. With limited time remaining, BVB held on to their lead, thanks to Nicole Wiggins' performance.

Kelly Vollebregt sealed the win with her 33rd and 34th goals. The Black and Yellows celebrated their first win of the current Champions League season against former Final Four participant CSM Bucuresti. Coach Rothenpieler praised the team's second-half performance, while Grijseels expressed delight in their improved play. The team heads into a national week of play, with several players selected for their respective national teams.

The DHB team will face Spain on September 25 and 27. Some players, including van Maurik, Freriks, and Vollebregt, are part of the Netherlands national team.