Chakovec handball players secured a home victory in the new season of the Paket24 Premier League, defeating RK Metkovic Zalmo 29:27. The match was played in front of the home crowd, with the visitors retaining the chance to equalise or win until the final moments, but the home side managed to hold on for the full-time whistle.
The match began aggressively, with Chakovec leading 4:1 by the 7th minute. The visitors responded quickly, equalising at 4:4 just 90 seconds later. The home players then took control of the game with a series of three goals, moving ahead 12:9. The score was levelled again at 14:14 in the 29th minute, and the teams went into the break with a narrow home advantage of 15:14.
The start of the second half brought another shift. The visitors took the lead 16:18 with a 1:4 run, but Chakovec responded swiftly. Domagoj equalised and then took the lead with the longest scoring run of four goals in that phase of the match. The key moment for the final outcome occurred between the 47th and 54th minutes, when Metkovic failed to score a single goal, allowing Chakovec to maintain or extend their advantage.
Marin Sutalo delivered an exceptional defensive performance, recording nine saves. In attack, Lucian Bura was the main reason for the victory, finishing as the match's top scorer with seven goals. Bruno Levak contributed with four goals. On the other side, Metkovic's standout performers were Ante Granic with 14 saves, and Srecko Jerkovic and Luka Cupic, who each scored six goals.
Chakovec will play away in the second round, facing a match in Osijek.
