One-third of the games in the regular season is already behind us. We are slowly approaching the stage of the games where teams may show the first signs of weariness with the fall series. They all have to be on guard in order not to lose those precious, hard-won points. This week, tune in to see the two games, in Piotrków Trybunalski and Szczecin, live on TV. One thing is certain – we will no doubt witness some handballs thrills this week. Let round 11 of the PGNiG Superleague begin!
The undefeated PGE VIVE Kielce will face Chrobry Głogów.
Vive’s star shines still shines bright. Having played 12 matches, they keep scoring maximum points. They also perform increasingly better at the EHF Champions League. They have recently won second time in a row and now rank fourth in their group. Filip Ivić comes back to Kielce after a long absence due to injury. However, he will probably not play in the game against Chrobry. His return will be a relief for Sławomir Szmal who has been exploited a lot during his absence. Although the 16-year-old Miłosz Wałach (temporary substitute for Ivić) gets by very well.
Chrobry also has some good reasons to smile. They have recently won the prestigious Lower Silesian Derby against Zagłębie Lubin. Rafał Stachers, the Głogów goalkeeper, played the game of the season, saving 17 goals and nearly 40% of all shots stopped. Kamil Sadowski, scoring 10 goals, and the team’s wingman Wiktor Kubała, scoring 7 goals, also contributed to the victory. Chrobry has 18 points and ranks fourth in the Blue group. The Tuesday match will see two teams from the Blue Group fight for four points.
PGE VIVE Kielce – Chrobry Głogów (Tuesday) November 21, 2017, 6:30 PM
A flashback from the game for the bronze medal?
One of the most interesting games of round 11 will see two teams which fought for the bronze medal in the Polish Championship. After an unbelievably thrilling game, it was the Puławy team which walked away with the medal.
Although the Kwidzyn team is a bit weaker than their opponent, they surely want to take revenge. The team has won the last game against Wybrzeże Gdańsk 24:22 and strengthened their third position in the Blue Group.
Azoty-Puławy, with one more victory and 28 points in total, now ranks second in the Orange Group. So far, they have lost only twice, against Orlen Wisła Płock and NMC Górnik Zabrze. They are also one step closer to the group stage of the EHF Cup, having defeated the vice-champions, Dani Team Tvis Holstebro, 30:27.
Azoty-Puławy – MMTS Kwidzyn (Wednesday) Nove,ber 22, 2017, 6:00 PM
Smells like a surprise
Piotrkowianin fans surely do remember their last face-off with Wisła. The Superleague’s beginner, Piotrkowianin, defeated Wisła 26:25. The meeting was hailed the biggest surprise of the previous season.
In their last game, Piotrkowianin has lost by an inch with NMC Górnik Zabrze, 26:28. Nevertheless, the team from Piotrków Trybunalski is in good spirits. This season, they play a lot better. Having collected 16 points, they now rank fourth in the Orange Group. The upcoming 20th anniversary of the club provided the necessary boost to the team’s morale. Moreover, the President of Piotrków Trybunalski has promised to build a new sports arena by 2019.
Wisła continues to shine in the Superleague. They have recently beaten Meble Wojcik Elbląg to a pulp, winning 29 to 17. On Wednesday, they will want to prove that their loss in the previous season was pure coincidence. In the Champions League, the Wisła team tied in their last game and with only two points now rank seventh in the group. It surely is not a satisfactory rank for the ambitious team from Płock.
The game between Piotrkowianin Piotrków Trybunalski and Orlen Wisła Płock, two teams from the Blue Group, is a four-point game.
Piotrkowianin Piotrków Trybunalski – Orlen Wisła Płock (Wednesday) November 22, 2017 r., 6:15 PM at Canal + Sport
The last game at Arena Legionowo
This will be the last 2017 game played by KPR at home. In round 10, the Legionowo team have lost to Azoty-Puławy 22:25. Yet, the fans gathered at Arena Legionowo could not have walked home disappointed. The victory was passed from hand to hand until the very last whistle. Finally, the experience of the Puławy team gave them the victory.
This time, they will be facing Gwardia Opole. The Opole team has won four games in a row. What is more, they have recently defeated the Slovenian team, KD Koper, thus getting one step closer to the group phase of the EHF Cup. However, despite recent successes, the team is having significant problems with their backcourts. Antoni Łangowski and Przemysław Zadura, the two most experienced backcourts, are currently on leave due to injuries.
KPR Legionowo – Gwardia Opole (Wednesday) November 22, 2017, 7:00 PM
Another thriller?
The three last games of Zagłębie ended with one goal difference, with the Lubin team triumphing only once, against Meble Wójcik Elbląg. They have also recently lost the Lower Silesian Derby against Chrobry Głogów. They will try to raise the spirits in the team in the game against Spójnia Gdynia. The Gdynia team has won only once this season. In the last round, they were defeated by Stal Mielec 31:35. This Thursday, we may witness another thriller with Zagłębie in the leading role, especially considering that it will be a game for four points between two teams from the Blue Group.
Zagłębie Lubin – Spójnia Gdynia (Thursday) November 23, 2017, 6:00 PM
Stal vs. Górnik
A very interesting game will be held in Mielec. The local team gathers momentum. This time, they will face NMC Górnik Zabrze. Stal Mielec has not won with Górnik for a long time. On the other hand, they have proved on several occasions that it is not easy to defeat them. What is more, it was Górnik who eliminated them from the knockout phase of the Polish Championship. That is why this time the Mielec team is so determined to win.
We will see whether it will be enough to defeat the Górnik team. So far, the Zabrze team has rounded up more points than Orlen Wisła Płock and now rank second in the collective table right under PGE VIVE Kielce. Their forward defence, that so many teams struggle with, is their strong point.
Stal Mielec – NMC Górnik Zabrze (Friday) November 24, 2017, 6:00 PM
Waiting for a breakthrough
Both teams are in dire need of points if they want to shorten the distance to their opponents and count in the fight for the 2018 finals. The hosts have not won a game since September 23. In their last match, they lost heavily to Wisła (29:17). This weekend, they will be visited by Wybrzeże which has significant line-up problems, with Ramon Oliveira or Damian Kostrzewa unable to participate in the meeting. Wybrzeże has recently lost against MMTS Kwidzyn in the Pomeranian Derby.
Meble Wójcik Elbląg – Wybrzeże Gdańsk (Saturday) November 25, 2017, 5:00 PM
Sandra Spa vs. MKS Kalisz – who’s going to beat who?
The NC + cameras will visit Szczecin, where Sandra Spa Pogoń Szczecin will face Energa MKS Kalisz. The game could go either way. Both Pogoń and MKS show good potential for victory. However, when it comes to points, the visiting team shows more promise, having won 14 points in total and outrunning the hosts in the Orange Group by two ranks. The Pogoń team knows that they have to focus on those four-point games, if they want to move up the ranks.
Sandra Spa Pogoń Szczecin – Energa MKS Kalisz (Sunday) November 26, 2017, 12:45 PM at Canal + Sport
