All possible on the road

With one point gained against Oltchim Vâlcea, coupled with a surprising Hypo-NÖ win against reigning title holder Viborg HK last weekend, Dinamo Volgograd still is in the race for reaching the semis of this year’s Women’s Champions League.

Viktor Ryabykh’s young team is usually very hard to beat on home soil. But the high quality opponents of the Main Round are tough tasks. After Kochetova and her team mates lost against Viborg HK in Volgograd, they wanted to make amends and not disappoint their fans again.

They played very well but were only partially successful as they threw a victory against Oltchim Vâlcea away. Volgograd led with a four-goal margin in the first half. The strong Romanians continuously fought back, and despite a two-goal lead again in the second half, Radu Voina’s team eventually managed to draw and share the points.

After the game Russian newspapers analysed the home team’s season performance, and have found the key. Dinamo’s players are used on too many fronts!

Besides the Champions League, they’re having a very difficult season in the Russian Super League, where Zvezda is challenging them strongly. Some of the players were the pillars of the Russian national team that won the World Championship in China; others simply are not experienced enough.

Having understood that, it gives a reasonable explanation why the Russians could not provide all the focus they had on Saturday. But one hundred percent are necessary in any match of the Champions League Main Round.

However, there is still hope for the Russian side, as outsider Hypo-NÖ presented a gift to Dinamo a few hours later by beating Viborg HK by 35:31. That keeps the Russian chances to qualify for the semis alive.

Dinamo awaits a tough battle for the last spot with two games on the road. And only a victory in Denmark could keep the door open for the Russians. Their last game against Hypo in Austria could then be decisive.