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Last-gasp goal seals victory for Polish team in Handball Champions League

Artsem Karalek silenced the home crowd with a superb late winner. An illustrative photo by PAP/Piotr Polak
Artsem Karalek silenced the home crowd with a superb late winner. An illustrative photo by PAP/Piotr Polak
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A last-second goal clinched a dramatic 33-32 victory for Industria Kielce in their Handball Champions League encounter with Kolstad Håndball in Trondheim.

Belarusian Artsem Karalek secured the win with just three seconds left on the clock, calmly launching the ball into an empty net from midfield after a hectic end to the game. The hosts had taken the lead with just eight seconds left on the clock. But Kielce immediately regained their composure and took a quick restart. Miłosz Wałach’s precise pass found Karalek, who capitalized on Kolstad’s decision to replace their goalkeeper with an extra outfield player, sealing the victory for the Polish team.
The game itself was a rollercoaster. Kielce had to recover from a shaky start, falling behind 8-12 after just 14 minutes due to a series of turnovers. However, they mounted an impressive comeback to lead 26-20 shortly after the break.

Determined not to go down without a fight, Kolstad erased Kielce’s advantage to tie the game at 26-26, setting the stage for the nail-biting finale.

The victory marked Kielce's third win in the group stage, bringing them level with Pick Szeged and HBC Nantes in Group B, while leaders Barcelona remain undefeated. Kielce will next face Aalborg Håndbold on October 23.

Yesterday was a successful day for Polish teams in the Handball Champions League. Orlen Wisła Płock finally broke their winless streak, overcoming Eurofarm Pelister 26-18 to earn their first victory of the season.
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