Benfica were beaten 24:31 by Torrelavega in the EHF Cup on Tuesday evening. The match ended with the visitors taking all three points from their tournament debut. Benfica had not lost in any of their previous six games, but this result ended that run.
Torrelavega arrive in the competition with zero games played and zero points. They came into this fixture having won 35:28 against Puente-Henil and 33:19 against Nava in their last two outings. The scoreline suggests they were comfortable from the opening whistle.
Benfica sit fourth in the standings with four points from six matches. They have won two and drawn four, with no defeats until now. The old head settled them down in previous campaigns, but tonight the visitors camped in the final third and took advantage.
The Portuguese side's recent form shows mixed results. They won 39:34 against ABC Braga and 38:20 against Avanca, but lost 27:32 to Sporting and 33:37 to Porto. Against Povoa they managed a 37:30 victory. This loss to Torrelavega adds a new dimension to their campaign.
Torrelavega's record before this match includes a 29:32 defeat to Hornedo Alicante and a 26:32 loss to Valladolid. They also fell 20:34 to Veszprem in August. The result means they have opened talks about their tournament ambitions, though that is an assessment, not a fact.
The final score leaves Benfica with their first defeat and Torrelavega with their first points. The goal difference now stands at minus seven for the hosts and plus seven for the visitors. By then, the tie had slipped from Benfica's grasp.
