Holstebro and Lada close to the semi-finals

Pregnant assistant coach Kristine Lunde Borgesen had to take charge of Vipers Kristiansand in the home game against RK Krim Mercator, as head coach Gunnar Pettersen was ill.

However, things turned out well for Borgesen and the team that went on to win 29:27 in the Aquarama of Kristiansand.

At the beginning, not much indicated a Norwegian win, though, as Krim were leading 12:6.

Already by half-time, however, had Vipers caught up at 15:15, and in the second half, the hosts succeeded in taking a two-goal win.

11 goals from Macedonian left back Mirjeta Bajramoska were not enough for a Slovenian win.

Dutch centre back Lynn Knippenborg was the top scorer for Vipers with eight goals.

Issy Paris Hand have a very good chance of proceeding to the semi-final despite losing away against HC ERD.

The Hungarian side only won the first leg at home as narrowly as 29:28 after leading 16:13 at half-time, and a one goal lead is obviously not a lot for ERD to take with them to the French capital.

Serbian right wing Katarina Slezak scored nine goals for ERD; Norwegian international and world champion Stine Bredal Oftedal scored seven for Paris.

Team Tvis Holstebro’s chances of reaching the semi-final are considerably higher, though.

Holstebro won the first leg of their all-Danish tie against Viborg HK as big as 25:14 in front of 1600 spectators in the Graekjær Arena of Holstebro.

Viborg got off the better start and were leading 4:1, before Holstebro got into the game, and at half-time, the home team was only leading by one goal, 8:7.

In the second half, however, Holstebro outplayed and outran their opponents to book and 11-goal win.

“After the first 10 minutes, we hit our top level.

“Our defence was perfectly aggressive, which their 14 goals prove beyond any doubt,” Holstebro coach Peter Krautmeyer told Team Tvis Holstebro’s website.

However, Handball Club Lada are closer to the semi-final than any other quarter-finalists.

Lada won the first leg away against Zevezda Zvenigorod no less than 43:30, and the return match in Togliatti next weekend looks almost like a formality.

By half-time Lada were leading 21:12 in this entirely Russian clash, and after the break, they continued to take a 13-goal win at the end.