Reactions from Budućnost

Budućnost lost only their second game in this year’s EHF Women's Champions League Final, First Leg at the Veszprém Arena in Hungary. But they will be looking to bounce back from the two-goal defeat by Györi Audi ETO KC in the second leg at Morača Hall on Sunday (13 May).

The result from the first leg could have been much worse with Györi Audi ETO leading 29:24 with three minutes to play.

"We only really played in the first half,” said Budućnost left winger Maja Savić. “Györi Audi ETO KC can’t play better than they did in the first game, while we can do much better in front of our fans.

“We played badly at the beginning of the game, but we managed to improve in the second half.”

Budućnost’s defensive play was unusually bad in Veszprém, and they missed five penalties. But fortunately for them Bojana Popović played brilliantly and scored 14 goals and many assists. Along with goalkeeper Clara Woltering (16 saves), they were largely responsible for the Montenegrian side only having a two-goal deficit.

"We conceded 29 goals, much of those because of our mistakes in attack and hasty shots, which gave Györi Audi ETO chance to score goals on the counter attack,” said Popović.

“We can’t do that Podgorica, we must have better realisation in attack and reduce the number of easy goals for Györi Audi ETO," she continued. "Everything is still to play for, we will see what happens in the second leg, we have seven days to prepare for the game. I think we will prepare much better for the rematch now that we know how Györi Audi ETO play."

Coach Dragan Adžić must be relieved to have a quality player like Bojana Popović in his squad. He said: “Bojana wouldn’t have won EHF Women's Champions League so many times if she was not a top player. Those are the games where the real players show their class. Bojana has proved she’s the best player in the world at the moment.”

Unlike Bojana Popović, right back Katarina Bulatović played below her best, scoring just three goals - just one from the field - and missing three of five penalties.

"I believe she pulled out at the end of the game and that she will play the second leg with renewed energy, because she’s a top player. She will do better in Podgorica", added Adžic.

The coach of Budućnost also considered that there were no tactical surprises on both sides in the first match.

"There is room for us to play better, to be more compact and to overturn the result from Hungary. We felt how Györi Audi ETO is playing and I believe that we can, in every way, prepare better for second leg," concluded Adžić.

Following the first leg, Adžić gave the team two days off and they will start preparing the second leg on Tuesday.

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