05.05.2014, 09:30
Viborg reaching out for the Cup Winners' Cup trophy

MATCH REVIEW: The three-time EHF Champions League winners are on the right track to raise a new European trophy after their convincing win in the first leg of the Cup Winners' Cup.

Viborg reaching out for the Cup Winners' Cup trophy

Viborg HK are well on the way to becoming the third Danish team to win the Women´s Cup Winners' Cup, after Ikast and FCK Håndbold have performed the similar result in the past.

After Sunday afternoon's nine goal win at home against Zvezda Zvenigorod, Viborg are obvious favourites to take the title ahead of the return match in the outskirts of Moscow next Sunday.

Women´s Cup Winners' Cup final first leg
Viborg HK (DEN) vs Zvezda Zvenigorod (RUS) 31:22 (16:12)

Viborg have an extremely good chance to take their first Cup Winners' Cup title and their seventh European title in history after their nine-goal win against Zvezda Zvenigorod in front of 1,300 spectators in Viborg Stadionhal in the early afternoon hours Sunday.

From the start Viborg played faster than their opponents, the right side of Viborg's attack being particularly strong with right back Louise Burgaard and right wing Louise Lyksborg as the most dominant scorers.

These factors soon gave Viborg a four goal lead, and only patience in Zvezda's attacking play and an improving performance by Maria Sidorova in the Russian goal enabled the visitors to hang in, so that the distance was still limited to four goals at half time.

18 minutes without a Zvezda goal

From the start of the second half, Viborg managed to make more space for their centre back Isabelle Gulldén, and this made the Swedish international a further asset to the home team's attacking play.

At the same time, Viborg seemed to have the most physical resources, and for no less than 18 minutes in the second half did the hosts manage to keep the guests from scoring.

Viborg made use of that period to increase their lead from 18:15 to 26:15, and the home team had several more 11 goal leads, before Zvezda managed to reduce the deficit to nine goals at the end.

“Our aim was to keep them on 22 goals, and we succeeded with that. You rarely succeed with that against Russian teams, but we fought well,” Viborg coach Christian Dalmose told his club's website.

“At the end I would like to have won bigger, but I have to watch the game again, then I may see it differently. Anyway, I think we can be proud of having defeated them by nine goals,” Dalmose added.

Liudmilla Postnova was the most scoring player, not only by Zvezda, but also in the match. The experienced left back scored seven goals, while Isabell Gulldén and Louise Lyksborg scored six each for Viborg.

Photo: Per Sörensen

TEXT: Peter Bruun / br