Clash of titans in Skopje as Vardar meet Larvik

The second weekend of the Women's EHF Champions League Group Matches offers some mouth-watering contests in Europe’s premier club competition, notably the meeting between rising force Vardar and former champions Larvik in FYR Macedonia’s capital Skopje on Friday.

The new-look Vardar, boasting almost an entirely new squad comprising the game’s household names, will get the first real test of their credentials against one of the continent’s most heralded outfits, which is also the nucleus of Norway’s national team.

Susann Müller is braced for an emotional clash with her former teammates when HC Leipzig take on Slovenia’s Krim Mercator, while FTC Rail Cargo Hungaria face a tricky home tie against 2012 winners Buducnost Podgorica who impressed in their opening match.

Holders Györ should have a straightforward task against debutants Baia Mare while former champions Hypo will have to dig deep if they are to bounce back from an opening day fiasco, with Germany’s Thüringer HC arriving to Austria in fine form.

Group A

HCM Baia Mare (ROU) vs Györi Audi ETO (HUN)
Saturday 12 October at 19:00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV

Reigning European champions Györ eased to their first win of the season at home to Hypo and their visit to neighbouring Romania, where they face the competition’s debutants Baia Mare, should be another straightforward task for the Hungarian title holders.

Györ got 11 players from their impressive roster on the scoresheet against Hypo, suggesting that the departure of Serbia centre back Andrea Lekic and Montenegro right wing Jovanka Radicevic will be easily compensated by the arrival of the latter’s compatriot Katarina Bulatovic, who scored five goals in a free-flowing team performance.

Baia Mare can take a lot of positives from their opening game in Germany and having stayed within striking distance against a more heralded rival for much of the contest, they will hope to the same against the odds-on favourites to retain the silverware.

Hypo Niederöstereich (AUT) vs Thüringer HC (GER)
Sunday 13 October 20:25 hrs local time, live on ehfTV

This intriguing clash will show whether former EHF Champions League winners Hypo, who have won Europe’s elite club competition four times in quick succession in the 1990s and reached the final on two more occasions, can bounce back from a crushing defeat at Györ.

With Thüringer HC firing on all cylinders in attack in their opening win over Baia Mare, one should expect a high-scoring contest as the home team’s Brazilian-flavoured outfit will also need to work hard defensively to stop Alexandrina Cabral Barbosa.

The Spain playmaker shone with eight goals and a flurry of assists against the Romanians as Sonja Frey also displayed an arsenal of attacking firepower, scoring 10 goals to lead the charge.

Group B

FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) vs Buducnost Podgorica (MNE)
Sunday 13 October 18:00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV

These two teams had contrasting fortunes on the opening matchday, with FTC Rail Cargo Hungaria earning the dubious honour of being on the receiving end in the weekend’s surprise outcome when they were comprehensively beaten by Midtjylland.

Not that FTC could have expected an easy ride in Denmark but their lack of pace in attack and a porous defence gave the hosts too much room to operate, meaning that the Hungarian side will have to raise their game if they are to come away with a win against Buducnost.

The competition’s 2012 winners enjoyed an emphatic win against Polish underdogs MKS Lublin with new signings Cristina Neagu and Camilla Dalby blending seamlessly into a youthful unit propped by outstanding German keeper Clara Woltering.

“With our thoughts focused on upcoming derbies against FTC and Mydtjylland, this game was an excellent test for what’s coming,” Budućnost coach Dragan Adzic, who also steered Montenegro to the EHF EURO 2012 title, told Montenegrin media.

Woltering added: “We are happy to have put two points in the bag but must now work hard to prepare for the visit to FTC. It was great to see the new players fit in so easily and the whole team to hit the ground running so early in the season.”

MKS Lublin (POL) vs FC Midtjylland (DEN)
Saturday 12 October 20:00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV

The Danish side, formerly known as Ikast, are clear favourites against Lublin after an impressive win over FTC in the opening round.
Lublin, playing in the Champions League Group Matches for the first time since 2003, seem to lack the depth and experience required at this level as shown by their drubbing at Buducnost.

Midtjylland, in contrast, showed all the hallmarks of Danish handball in their thrashing of FTC, with four players scoring six goals each while goalkeeper Sabine Englert produced a string of superb saves.

Midtjylland will see this visit as crucial to stay on course for a berth in the Main Round, with early form suggesting that a three-team battle is shaping up for two berths in the next stage of the competition. 

Group C

IK Sävehof (SWE) vs Metz Handball (FRA)
Saturday 12 October 16:00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV

Although both teams suffered defeats in their opening games, they were able to take a lot of positives heading into this vital match.
With Leipzig and Krim the strong favourites for a top-two finish in the group, Metz and Sävehof are likely to battle it out for third place and continued existence in Europe this season in case they fail to reach the Champions League Main Round.

Metz will be buoyed by a spirited comeback against Leipzig which brought them within touching distance of a draw, while the Swedish title holders can proudly look back on holding their own against much-fancied Krim Mercator for 55 minutes, largely thanks to good performances from right wing Hanna Fogelstrom and left back Jamina Roberts.

HC Leipzig (GER) vs RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
Sunday 13 October 15:00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV
 

Leipzig’s right back Susann Müller will face her old friends from Krim Mercator when these two teams nurturing similar styles clash in what should be a highly entertaining encounter.

The 25-year old scored five goals in a thrilling 23:22 win at Metz in the opening round and showed that she will be a real asset in her second spell at Leipzig, having played at Danish side Randers for two years before spending last season with Mercator.

Krim, for their part, were also made to work hard for a home win against Sävehof, the 36:28 scoreline belying the fact that the visitors were in the match until the final few minutes when they ran out of steam.

Fast-flowing handball preferred by both teams should produce a high-scoring match, with Krim relying on the shooting prowess of winger Tamara Mavsar and Croatia left back Andrea Penezic, who scored 15 goals between them against Sävehof.

Group D

WHC Vardar SCBT (MKD) vs Larvik (NOR)
Friday, 11 October 18:30 hrs local time, live on ehfTV

Arguably the weekend’s most appealing fixture has pitted former champions Larvik against an emerging force on the women’s handball map, boasting a myriad of the game’s big names from all over Europe.

Having signed 10 internationals, including Serbia centre back Andrea Lekic and Montenegro right wing Jovanka Radicevic from holders Györi Audi ETO, Vardar ground out a hard-fought win in their opening match at Balonmano Bera Bera.

Their performance suggested they still have plenty of work to do for the sum of the team’s expensive parts to match the expected overall value, but a passionate home crowd in Skopje will surely give them the lift they need against a well-oiled Larvik machine.

The Norwegian champions toyed with HC Podravka Vegeta in the first round and showed that they have the capacity to go all the way again, with Linn-Kristin Koren Riegelhuth netting 12 goals in a one-sided contest.

Larvik coach Ole Gustav Gjekstad warned his team against complacency after the emphatic win and pointed out that even more solid defending would be required against a vastly talented Vardar team.

HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO) vs Balonmano Bera Bera (ESP)  
Saturday, 12 October 18:00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV

Losing influential Serbian left back Sanja Damnjanovic to Danish side Viborg and former captain Miranda Tatari to Russian club Astrahkanochka is obviously a big blow to Croatian champions HC Podravka Vegeta, who were overwhelmed by Larvik in their opening group match.

Bera Bera, on the other hand, gave a good account of themselves in their Champions League debut against FYR Macedonia’s Vardar Skopje and will travel to Croatia confident in springing what would amount to a huge upset, given the two teams’ statures on the European handball map.

Captain and left wing Matxalen Ziarsolo, who shone against Vardar, will again be the Basque outfit’s driving force while Podravka could rely on experienced pivot Vesna Milanovic-Litre and Serbia’s 22-year old right back Jelena Zivkovic to chalk up their first Champions League points of the season.