"Blues" were one step away from victory, saving a point with a goal by Matea Pletikosić 10 seconds before the end

Although they had a two-goal difference with less than four minutes to go (29:27), Buducnost Bemax handball players can finally be satisfied with a point against Rapid in the "Bemax Arena" (30:30).

Bojana Popović's team missed a goal in the finish, Matea Pletikosić lost the ball with the score 29:29, but redeemed herself 10 seconds before the end, when she scored the first point in Podgorica this season, fifth overall in the Champions League.

Milena Raičević scored the first three goals for her team, but then Ivana Kapitanović started to stop the shots of the "blues" and allowed her team to be the first to reach plus two (6:4).

In those moments, the players were probably "spinning" films from the matches with Esbjerg and Metz, which had a convincing advantage in the first half, but they did not allow that to happen a third time.

The champion of Romania had two more differences (8:6 and 9:7), but Buducnost responded brilliantly. The team was pushed by Armel Atingre, who worked wonders between the goalposts, lined up saved shots and seven-pointers, and Ivana Godeč rounded off the 5:0 series in an unusual way to turn it around to 12:9 - she hit the goalpost, the ball bounced off the back of the Croatian goalkeeper and ended in the network.

With that, the young pivot ended her bad streak, because she did not hit the net from the first three shots from the line.

And at halftime it was plus three, and at the beginning of the continuation, Matea Pletikosić increased the score to 14:10. Then, however, Buducnost faltered in attack, and the team, which included four Spanish national team players and their coach Carlos Weaver, equalized on the counterattack in the 39th minute (17:17).

Bojana Popović's team "ran" twice to plus two, Rapid caught up with them, so with the score 22:22, one of the best handball players of all time took a time-out.

Fortunately, there is another symbol of Montenegrin handball on the field, Milena Raičević, who scored a goal and made two assists for 25:23, so Weaver had to call his players to come to an agreement with 10 minutes to go.

The visitors reduced the numbers, Popović consciously took a risk and attacked seven to six. Raičević used the first goal, but Godečova did not, so with six minutes and 27 seconds left, Alicia Fernandes brought things back to zero again with her first field goal (26:26).

Adrijana Cardoso de Castro and tonight's great Ivona Pavićević restored two points (28:26), but Dorina Koršoš equalized two minutes and seven seconds before the end (29:29), when the home team again failed to catch the ball that bounced off the post.

Pletikosić then lost the ball, and Rapid got a seven-pointer with 41 seconds left.

Aleksandra Lakraba took advantage of it, Popović took a time-out, after which space opened up for Pletikosić, and she turned from a potential tragic actress into a heroine.

THE FUTURE BEMAX - RAPID 30:30 (13:10)

Podgorica - "Bemax Arena". Spectators: 400. Referees: Mertz and Kutler (Germany). Sevens: Buducnost Bemax 2 (2), Rapid 6 (3). Exclusions: Future Bemax 4 minutes.

The future of Bemax: ATINGRE (15 saves and two sevens), J. Kadović, ĆOROVIĆ 1, PLETIKOSIC 5 (1), GODEČ 2, Popović, Džaferović, Marsenić, Kardoso de Castro 2, Agović, BULATOVIĆ, Tomova, N. Kadović, RAIČEVIĆ 12 (1), PAVIĆEVIĆ 8, Kepić.

Rapid: Ćuka (three saves), Sandra, KAPITANOVIĆ (nine saves), Bućeski 2, Perijanu, LOPES 7, Gutierrez, KORŠOŠ 3, Espinola, Kanor, Ostase, FERNANDES 3 (1), HERNANDES 5, LAKRABE 3 (1), BADEA, Grozav 7 (1).