20.02.2013, 11:06
Champions back in the semi-final race

Budućnost coach Adžić rejects thoughts on the top four break-through.

Champions back in the semi-final race

Although it is not a declared objective by the club at this stage, Budućnost is back in the race for at least the second place in Group 1. The 24:22 victory against Randers, is the first one for the reigning champions in Main Round, after defeats losing to Györi Audi ETO and Larvik. Those two points, secured only in the final seconds of the game in Morača hall, have given the team of Dragan Adžić a fresh hope to proceed to the semi-finals.

With the premiere European club competition taking a week off his squad have enough time to prepare for the rematch in Denmark.

“I'm glad that my players showed character and skill required to beat a team like Randers. Danish team showed their quality and I am pleased that we were able to respond in the right way. All the girls gave their current maximum.

"We made progress compared to the match against Larvik and that makes me happy. I have to congratulate Randers on a great fight and an excellent game, they showed they are not accidentally Denmark´s champions in the top eight of the Champions League,” Budućnost’s coach Adžić said.

Budućnost were struggling in the first half of the game, but managed to came back from four goal deficit ant the take the first lead at half-time (12:11).

In the second half tim of Dragan Adžić played better in attack, and ten minutes till the end it seemed that the game was decided when Budućnost was leading 21:17.

But, Randers came back, tied the game at 21:21, and the game, like a week earlier with Larvik, had to be decided in the closing minutes. At 22:22, Budućnost score twice (Milena Knežević and Radmila Miljanić), Randers didn’t at all, and Montenegrians could celebrate first victory.

“We have fulfilled what we had aimed for before the match. We showed great fighting spirit and desire to get first well-deserved victory in the Main Round. We played well, maybe not good as we could, but the most important thing is that we finally got first two points and you still have a chance to go to the semifinals”, said Milena Knežević, top scorer of EHF Champion league with 74 gols, scoring 10 goals against Randers.

With the first victory, and thanks to a defeat of Larvik at home against Györi Audi ETO, Budućnost is still in the race for the semi-finals. Unlike his players, Adžić does not want to talk about that.

“We don’t think about semi-finals, but only about next match, again against Randers. As I already have said, we are in the Main Round to gain experience. Much stronger teams and the clubs who have invested a lot more than us, have to think about the semi-finals. We must think only how to play, how to do our best. In the past seasons we were thinking about the semi-finals, but this year we are creating a new team," Adžić added.

For 58 minutes Randers were in the game in Podgorica, and had a chance to get at least one point, if not even a victory. But, the quests did not manage to score in the final two minutes…

“The game was hard and played in a good place. I love when there is a lot of fans in the hall. We fought a lot, the match was tied, we could have won also, but we didn’t. I congratulate Budućnost for a win,” Randers right back Camilla Dalby (eight goals in this game) stated.

After a defeat in Podgorica, Randers in the only team without points in the group.

“We could have won the match in Podgorica, but Budućnost got more penalties, and it was very difficult for us. We didn't have enough patience in the second half, like in the first 30 minutes. Our team don't have power for 60 minutes, because we have many players just back from injuries. We knew it would be difficult to win in there, because Morača hall is an amazing home court of Budućnost. But we hope to beat Budućnost at home”, Randers head coach Jan Leslie said.

TEXT: Saša Jončić / br