Györ aim to secure group win

With a home win against Viborg HK Saturday, double Women's EHF Champions League winners Györi Audi ETO KC can make sure to win Group C.

In the Sunday match in the group, HC Lokomotiva Zagreb and IK Sävehof meet in what appears to be a direct duel for the third position and the last ticket for the main round.

GROUP C
Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN) vs Viborg HK (DEN)
Saturday 8 November at 16.00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV

Through their 30:25 win in Viborg on Sunday, Györ emphasised their status as leaders of the group, and being two points ahead of their Danish adversaries, the defending double EHF Champions League winners can secure the first place with another win.

Being four points ahead of Viborg and being better in the internal matches, Györ will be out of reach for the Champions League winners from 2006, 2009 and 2010.

Based on the way the first match between the two top teams in the group turned out, Györ appear as obvious favourites in the Magvassy Mihaly Sporthalle Saturday afternoon, and Viborg veteran Rikke Skov already realises that she and her teammates may have to settle for second position and for taking as many points as possible with them to the main round.

“That is our main goal now, although I do not think it is completely fair to say that our shortcomings were on display in our home match against Györ. Actually, I think we had our chances in that game, but we simply missed too many opportunities in crucial moments. However, it may not necessarily be more difficult to meet Györ away, than it was at home, so I still believe in our chances although it will obviously be tough,” Rikke Skov tells ehfCL.com.

HC Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO) vs IK Sävehof (SWE)
Sunday 9 November at 17.00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV

After the first half of the group phase, Lokomotiva and Sävehof seem to be left to fight for the third and last position on the main round from this group, while Györi Audi ETO KC and Viborg HK are deciding the group win between them.

After the 29:29 draw in Sweden last Friday, which gave both teams their first Champions League point this season, the Croatian champions seem to have the better odds through the home advantage when the two teams meet again in the Dom Sportova on Sunday, and Lokomotiva's right back Lidija Horvat believes to have the recipe for a home win.

“We want to make our defence better and minimise our technical mistakes. Our concentrations will need to be on a high level in defence and attack.

We want to be more aggressive in our way of playing, Lidija Horvat tells ehf CL.com.

However, Sävehof have far from given up on winning in Zagreb, if we are to believe their right back Ida Oden.

“We missed too many opportunities and made too many mistakes in the first match against Lokomotiva. If we can take those away from our play, I definitely believe we can take two points in Zagreb,” Oden says.