17.10.2014, 12:00
Romanian powerhouse and ambitious Norwegian team

GROUP D PREVIEW: HCM Baia Mare and Larvik both have the ambition to go all the way in the Women's EHF Champions League. Friday and Saturday they will need to take the first steps.

ROMANIAN POWERHOUSE AND AMBITIOUS NORWEGIAN TEAM

Reinforced HCM Baia Mare and Norwegian record champions Larvik appear as favourites in Group D of the Women’s EHF Champions League, where Metz Handball and MKS Selgros Lublin will probably have to fight about the last main round ticket.

With so prominent signings as goalkeeper Barbara Arenhart as well as wingers Camilla Herrem and Alexandra do Nascimento, just to mention a few, it is no wonder that HCM Baia Mare are dreaming of a journey to the Women’s EHF FINAL4 in Budapest in May next year.

No less than 12 new signings, most of whom being international top names, obviously place the Romanian team as not only favourites in Group D, but perhaps among the favourites in the  tournament in general, provided that coach Costica Buceschi can make the team with all those new players click.

There is no doubt that Baia Mare will get keen competition from Larvik who are eager to celebrate the club’s 25 year anniversary in May next year by playing the Women’s EHF FINAL4 which they missed last season. Particularly interesting will be the goalkeeper position, where the Danish newcomer Sandra Toft
will be forming the goalkeeper duo with Alma Hasanic after the two legendary veterans Lene Rantala and Cecilie Leganger have both ended their career.

Apart from Sandra Toft, other interesting signings by Larvik are left wing Sanna Solberg from Norwegian league colleagues Stabæk, line player Marit Malm Frafjord who has returned home from Danish champions Viborg HK, and Polish left back Alina Wojtas who has joined from group opponents MKS Selgros Lublin.

Metz and Lublin hope to surprise

With no less than 15 new players, Metz Handball seem to be sending on an almost entirely new team, where also the coach, Jeremy Roussel is new.

Among the newcomers, right back Claudine Mendy, who has joined from Issy Paris Hand, seems to be to most obvious reinforcement, but still, Metz should probably be happy that three teams from each group proceed to the main round this season.

This also applies to MKS Selgros Lublin who will probably feel the loss of left back Alina Wojtas to group rivals Larvik. Lublin is one of very few top clubs with a female coach, and Sabina Wlodek will have her work cut out for her when trying to qualify the Polish champions for the main round.

Ambitious teams open group matches as favourites

Opening matches are said to always be difficult, but neither HCM Baia Mare nor Larvik can really afford to pay much attention to that old saying, if they mean business this season, which both clubs have made it clear that they do.

This means that their first round matches at home against MKS Selgros Lublin respectively Metz Handball will have to result in victories, and preferably clear victories.

Group D
HCM Baia Mare (ROU) vs MKS Selgros Lublin (POL)
Friday 17 October at 17:00 local time, live on ehfTV

Baia Mare and Lublin will have the honour of opening the group matches of the 2014/15 Women's EHF Champions League, as they meet in Sala Polivalenta Lascar Pana in the later afternoon hours Friday.

A quick look at the squads of the two clubs leaves no doubt that the hosts are the favourites in this encounter and should be able to use the match as the first step of the journey to the Women's EHF FINAL4 they are hoping for.

However, many of the start players in the Baia Mare squad are new, and it is well known that it takes time to play a new team together, no matter how good the players are.

That could be Lublin's chance in this first match of the group.

“Sport likes surprises,” Lublin coach Sabina Wlodek says. If her team can get a point or two with them home from Romania, it will definitely be one of those surprises.

Larvik (NOR) vs Metz Handball (FRA)
Saturday 18 October at 18:30 local time, live on ehfTV

It was a disappointment to Larvik to miss the first Women's EHF FINAL4 ever last season.

The Norwegian record champions are eager to take revenge this season, and they are determined to take the first step Saturday evening in Arena Larvik.

“It will be great to get started, and it is a game we should win,” one of Larvik's new players, left wing Sanna Solberg told ehfCL.com.

The French champions, who are visiting Larvik this Saturday, count a lot of new players in their squad and are therefore difficult to judge.

However, 19-times French champions will obviously want to copy their achievement from the 2011-12 season when they reached the main round, not least as the club is celebrating its 50 year anniversary this season.

The chance to reach the main round has increased with the fact that three teams from each group continue to the main round this season, so an away game against Larvik is not one of the matches Metz will absolutely have to win, although there is no doubt that they will try.

TEXT: Peter Bruun / br