Koka Women — Podravka Women Cro: 18:42, 1. HRL Women

Podravka women secured a fifth consecutive victory in the 1st Women's Handball League as they defeated hosts Koka on Tuesday evening. The result keeps Podravka at the summit of the table with eight points from four matches, while Koka remain sixth with four points and an unbeaten record of two wins and two draws.

The away side carried their momentum from recent performances, having beaten HSG Blomberg-Lippe 33:31 and Sinj 46:26 in their last two outings. Koka, by contrast, showed inconsistency in their recent run, drawing 31:31 with Bjelovar before a 35:25 win over ŽRK Osijek.

We had called an away victory with 71 per cent confidence before kick-off, and the prediction came through. Podravka's four straight wins suggest they should have too much for most opponents this season, and Koka's home defence found itself out-thought on the touchline.

The result extends Podravka's winning run to five matches across all competitions, including their European fixture against Blomberg-Lippe. Koka's unbeaten streak of four games came to an end, their first loss since the opening rounds of the domestic campaign.

Podravka now sit four points clear at the top, though only two matches separate the leaders from the rest of the table. Koka's home form remains solid, but they need to find a way to close out tight games if they want to climb higher.