The BVB women's handball team have returned from Moscow empty-handed. Coach André Fuhr's charges made too many mistakes in their Champions League group game against CSKA and ultimately lost by a 28-35 (12-19) scoreline.

The temperature was -19°C when the BVB women's handball team arrived in Moscow on Saturday lunchtime – without Spaniard Jennifer Gutiérrez Bermejo, who was not granted a visa for the trip to Russia. Once the game got under way, it was the visitors who caught their hosts cold. With several spectators watching on, the Black & Yellows took a 1-0 lead through right winger Kelly Vollebregt with their first attack. But then the Dortmund ladies began to repeat the simple mistakes they had made in Podgorica a week earlier and their bright start soon came undone.

CSKA suddenly found themselves 3-1 ahead in the fifth minute after two misthrows and a technical error from BVB, who remained unperturbed by the setback and used a time penalty imposed on the hosts to battle back. Laura van der Heijden levelled at 5-5 from the right flank in the eighth minute, though simple errors from the Borussia players in the ensuing minutes were exploited by the opposition. For example, BVB would repeatedly pick out Merel Freriks on the edge of the zone with lovely passes, but the Duch native was either denied by the woodwork or the CSKA goalkeeper.

By the 11th minute, the Black & Yellows suddenly found themselves 8-5 down after a time penalty against Dulfer and three quick goals from the Russians. CSKA maintained their cushion and, with the score at 13-9 with 10 minutes to go before the break, André Fuhr called his first time-out. But that did not stop BVB from continuing to make mistakes. While Laura van der Heijden, Kelly Vollebregt and Johanna Stockschläder did manage to score goals 10, 11 and 12 for Borussia, the Russians pulled away and held a 19-12 lead at the break.

Strong saves from Borussia's Yara ten Holte

BVB commenced the second period with two spectacular goals from the back area by Inger Smits and van Zijl, but at the back they continued to make life too easy for their hosts and so were unable to narrow the deficit. Once the score went to 22-14 in the 34th minute, Dortmund started to perform better – thanks in large part to some strong saves from Yara ten Holte, who was now between the posts for BVB, and Tessa van Zijl, who boldly found the net from the back area. The Dutchwoman made the score 24-20 after 42 minutes, at which point the CSKA coach called time-out.

The desire remained clear to see from the Black & Yellows, who might have reduced the deficit to three goals after Inger Smits scored three great goals and Ten Holte made yet another strong save with the score 27-23 to CSKA. But the rebound fell to the home side, who made it 28-23 in the 46th minute and started to open up a lead. The Russians maintained that five-goal lead until 10 minutes before the end, when the score was 30-25.

Another good save from ten Holte and a top van Zijl throw from the back area reduced BVB's deficit to four goals (32-28). The Black & Yellows were then presented with a chance to find their way back into the game when the hosts made a technical error and were handed a time penalty for a foul on Dana Bleckmann. But Borussia made too many mistakes in the remaining minutes of the match and CSKA ran out 35-28 winners. 

BVB women's handball team: Duijndam, Roch, ten Holte; Grijseels (2/2), Monti Danielsson, van der Heijden (2), van Zijl (4), Smits (4), Abdulla (3/2), Stockschläder (5), Freriks (1), Dulfer (3), Rode, Bleckmann (1), Vollebregt (2)