Thursday's Champions League match between the Skanderborg AGF men's handball team and Dinamo București hung in the balance right to the end.
In a manner typical of the hosts' disjointed performance, the match ended with a shot blocked by the Romanian defense and a final scoreline of 25–25.
Skanderborg AGF are therefore still seeking their first victory in the tournament; with a single point, they sit at the bottom of a group that also includes Barcelona and Montpellier.
Only half of the teams from the initial group stage advance to the intermediate round of this season's Champions League. The others drop down to the European League.
The Danes have four matches left to fight their way into the top two.
Skanderborg AGF played their first home game in the Champions League, but before the break, you couldn't really feel the extra spark at the Djursland Bank Arena, where the spectators also struggled to raise the noise level.
Without displaying a polished handball game, the East Jutland hosts managed to take the lead several times during a tight first half.
Leading 12–11 and enjoying a numerical advantage, Skanderborg had the chance to go two goals ahead. However, Emil Laerke missed his shot, and the visitors responded by scoring four consecutive goals.
Skanderborg AGF quickly erased the deficit, and the tight contest continued into the second half, with both the intensity and the noise level rising a notch.
The same could not quite be said for the quality of play, however. Left-back Gustav Bruun created a bit of breathing room with a goal, making it 22–19, but this time it was Dinamo Bucuresti's turn to strike back.
The home team played sloppily in several situations, and with ten minutes remaining, the match was once again all square. In goal, Magnus Kjaersgaard Petersen pulled off several big saves that kept Skanderborg AGF in the match. At the other end, however, Kristjan Kristjansson proved costly, scoring just two goals from 13 attempts.
In the final seconds, Skanderborg AGF had the chance to snatch the win, but Emil Laerke failed to find the back of the net.