Hapoel Holon Advances in European Handball Cup
Hapoel Holon has advanced to the next stage of the European Cup after defeating Albatro Siracusa of Italy twice. The Israeli handball club secured a 36-32 victory in the first leg and a 29-23 win in the second leg, completing their European journey for the 2026/27 season. The team, coached by Nissim Peleg and Nadav Haver, demonstrated impressive character, stability, and determination throughout both matches.
Key player Or Levi was instrumental in the victories, scoring a total of 17 goals across the two games. Amit Reinberg and Italo Gabriel each added 12 goals, while Nadav Cohen contributed 10. Other scorers included Caio Vinicius with 6 goals, Loïc Bakso with 2, and one goal each from Reef Cohen, Israel Levi, and Roi Dajaldeti.
The team's goalkeeping performance was also strong. In the first game, Oren Mairovich recorded a 36% save rate and Or Knaani had 31%. Mairovich continued his performance with 37% saves in the second match, while Knaani delivered an exceptional 57% save rate.
Following these wins in Sicily, Holon now awaits the draw for the next round of the competition. Coach Nissim Peleg expressed immense pride in his players, highlighting the significance of winning twice in Italy, especially given the inability to host games in Israel due to the current complex period. He emphasized the team's spirit, belief, and their successful representation of Holon and Israel on the European stage.
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