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Second place secured in Lucerne

• Industria Kielce won 32:30 away at HC Kriens-Luzern in round five of the Champions League group stage, leading 19:17 at half-time.
• The win gave Kielce second place in Group F and a place in the main phase with one round to spare; it was their third victory in the competition.
• Kielce played without injured right winger Dylan Nahi; Julien Bos converted all five of his first-half shots and Theo Monar top-scored with six goals.
• Kielce had earlier beaten Kriens 30:29 at home and Kolstad 36:29 away, and lost twice to SC Magdeburg, 30:35 at home and 27:30 away.

Industria Kielce beat HC Kriens-Luzern 32:30 (19:17) in Switzerland in the fifth round of the EHF Champions League group stage (Industria Kielce gra dalej w Lidze Mistrzów! – Związek Piłki Ręcznej w Polsce) (Cenne zwycięstwo Industrii Kielce w Lidze Mistrzów! Mistrzowie Polski z awansem - PolsatSport.pl – polsatsport.pl). The victory, sealed in the closing minutes, gave the Polish champions second place in Group F and confirmed their progress to the main phase with one round still to play. It was Kielce's third win of the campaign.

Kielce short-handed in the back court

Kielce travelled without right winger Dylan Nahi, who stayed behind after injuring an eye in training in Kielce; tests and medical consultations ruled him out of the match. Coach Krzysztof Lijewski started Piotr Jarosiewicz, with Aleks Vlah, Michał Olejniczak and Julien Bos as the playmaking trio. Bos converted all five of his first-half shots and added a series of assists, combining effectively with Theo Monar, who finished as Kielce's top scorer on six goals.

From 7:5 down to a two-goal cushion

The opening minutes were even, and the hosts moved ahead by two at 7:5 in the 11th minute. Kielce regained control and led 19:17 at the break. The Swiss side stayed close and the outcome was decided late, with Kielce holding a two-goal advantage at the final whistle (Thriller w meczu mistrzów Polski w Lidze Mistrzów. Kluczowe zwycięstwo – Przegląd Sportowy) (Thriller Industrii Kielce w LM! O awansie zdecydowały ostatnie minuty – sport.pl).

Group F results so far

Kielce's record in the group before the trip to Lucerne included a 30:29 home win over Kriens-Luzern and a 36:29 away win at Kolstad. Both meetings with SC Magdeburg ended in defeat for Kielce, 30:35 at home and 27:30 away, leaving the German side top of Group F.

What comes next

Kielce's final group match is at home against Kolstad (Dwie bramki różnicy w Szwajcarii. To był mecz o życie mistrza Polski w LM – Interia Sport). A win or a draw in Lucerne would have all but settled their place in the next stage, and the two points in Switzerland gave them a clear route into the main phase.