RK Zagreb saw off Celje 31:29 in their Champions League clash on Wednesday evening, September 9th. The result keeps both sides level in the standings at zero games, zero wins, zero points — the table does not mean much this early. What it means is that Zagreb found a way back into it when it mattered.
We had Celje on a good run coming into this one, gave them 61 per cent confidence for an away win. The prediction did not come off. Zagreb were not going to let the game drift away, and by then they had picked one up last week against Vojvodina. Three goals separated the sides at the final whistle, not a margin you can take lightly.
Zagreb's recent results show a side still finding its rhythm. They drew with Trimo Trebnje and Ohrid, beat Vojvodina 24:21, but lost to Kielce and drew with Tata Banya. They have one foot in the next round of this competition in spirit, even if the points are not there yet. This win against a side like Celje will make life awkward for their opponents.
Celje have been scoring freely — 40:33 against Škofljica, 35:21 against Ivančna Gorica. But against Zagreb they were pinned back more often than they would have liked. They lost at home to Tata Banya and were beaten by Kielce and Veszprém in August. The away end never stopped, but the scoreline tells a different story.
Both teams sit on zero points in the table for now, and the standings are worth a sentence only when they carry meaning. This result extends Zagreb's unbeaten run in friendlies to eight, while Celje's winning streak in domestic play ends here. The Champions League phase has barely begun, but the first points are already in the bag for the hosts.