Füchse Berlin defeated Partizan 44-33 in the opening round of the Champions League on Wednesday evening. The German side took control early and never looked back, while Partizan struggled to find their rhythm against a well-drilled opposition.
And here's the thing — the final score tells only part of the story. Berlin were clinical in attack and solid in defence, while Partizan's shots went astray when it mattered most. The hosts had moments but could not string together sustained periods of pressure.
To be fair, Partizan have not been without recent success. A 31-27 win over Radnicki Kragujevac in April was followed by a 41-31 victory against Metaloplastica, and they have been scoring freely in domestic competition. But Champions League football has its own rules, and the intensity was different.
Berlin come in with momentum of their own. A 34-33 win over Stuttgart on September sixth showed they can handle tight finishes, though they dropped points against Magdeburg in two separate fixtures. They were also tested at home by Melsungen, winning 33-31 after a 38-31 defeat earlier in August.
By then, both sides were still finding their feet in this new campaign. Three or four moments decide matches at this level, and Berlin took theirs. The result leaves them top of the table, though with zero games played the standings mean little until there is more substance behind them.