Thrilling victory and final berth for Budućnost
In a great atmosphere and a game with lots of tension Budućnost secured clear victory against title holder Larvik and progressed to the final of the EHF Women's Champions League to face there coach Karl Erik Bøhn's team Győri Audi ETO that earned a final berth yesterday.
Budućnost (MNE) vs. Larvik (NOR) 23:13 (10:7)
The key factor for the clear home victory was their goalkeeper Clara Woltering, who performed in an outstanding manner. Despite a great Cecilie Leganger in the Norwegian goal Larvik were not able to break down the Montenegrin defence, and whenever they did, Woltering simply saved their shots.
After a head-to-head beginning Larvik had troubles organizing their attack while their opponents’ defence stood stable like the Great Wall of China.
Thanks to Katarina Bulatović Budućnost quickly found their top gear and with Larvik nervously squandering their chances, coach Dragan Adžić´s team stormed to lead by three goals at half-time.
The hosts returned more relaxed from the cabins and Adžić´s team made a 5:0 serie, extending the lead to 15:7, with Larvik unable to score for 14 minutes.
Throughout the second half, Bojana Popović and her team-mates kept pushing hard on the gas pedal, and the Norwegians fell more or less apart in their defence as well as in their attack.
At certain points in the second half, the game seemed to be turning into a real humiliation for the reigning champions, as Budućnost were controlling the game at both ends.
For the hosts it will be the first ever final participation after having failed seven previous times at the semi-final stage of the EHF Women's Champions League.
TEXT: Márk Hegedüs
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