Knezevic: We showed ourselves how good we are
After two consecutive away defeats, Buducnost returned to form with a win at home over the weekend in the Women’s EHF Champions League.
The team coached by Dragan Adzic managed to get revenge over Midtjylland for the defeat in Denmark (21:19) with an impressive 22:15 victory.
With this win, Buducnost are back in contention for a top two finish in the group and a place in the main round. The seven-goal triumph also means that the Montenegrin champions will have the edge over their Danish rivals if they finish level on points.
For the first time in this season, centre back Milena Knezevic showed the form of last season and in an interview with ehfCL.com she spoke about Buducnost’s second win in the group and their chances of reaching the next stage.
ehfCL.com: What was the recipe for success against Midtjylland?
Milena Knezevic: We finally played a good game and put into practice everything we built in the preparation period, especially after the first match against Midtjylland.
We were running back very well, and stopped their fast breaks, we played smarter than in Denmark and took advantage of their mistakes.
We deserved to get a convincing victory, but we will not stop here and be satisfied. We want to do better and I hope that we will from game to game.
ehfCL.com: Did you feel the pressure before the match, after two defeats and winning was a must?
Milena Knezevic: I have already said before the game that we don’t feel any pressure. If we have to be realistic, all the teams in our group who are fighting for the main round are in the same situation. We all need to win at home. So there was no pressure, we played a steady game.
ehfCL.com: How much does this victory mean psychologically to your team?
Milena Knezevic: It means a lot. We showed ourselves how good we are and how good our game is when we give our best and we fight.
ehfCL.com: Defence was the key in this game. You reduced Midtjylland to only five goals in the second half, which rarely happens at home or abroad. What do you make of the defence?
Milena Knezevic: We played great defence throughout the whole match, especially in the second half. It’s a great success to hold Midtjylland to only five goals in one half.
ehfCL.com: However, the attack is not yet at the required level. What are the reasons? Is it, perhaps, because of the number of new players in the back court?
Milena Knezevic: We based our game more on defence, but we are satisfied with the attack because we played calm and not rushed. With such a win, we would not mind if every game was like this.
ehfCL.com: In the first three games you didn’t play as well as expected. Against Midtjylland you were the game’s top scorer with eight goals, more than your total of seven from the opening three games. Does it mean that you are back in the last season's form when you were one of the top scorers?
Milena Knezevic: In the first three games I was not the real me, it was obvious. I had some problems with injuries, especially before the start of the season.
I didn’t have a chance to train during the week, but just the day before the match and it was apparent that I was not able to show what was expected from me.
After the EHF EURO qualification game with Poland, I took few days of rest to heal the injuries as much as possible and that immediately had a positive effect.
ehfCL.com: Two games before the end, you hold the destiny in your hands, you need two wins to go into the main round. Can Buducnost beat MKS Selgros Lublin in Poland and then FTC Rail Cargo Hungaria at home?
Milena Knezevic: The best is when you hold fate in your hands and not depend on someone else. It’s the best possible situation. We have to repeat the performance from the last game against Midtjylland and then we will certainly not have any problems.
TEXT: Saša Jončić / cor
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