24.10.2014, 06:09
Sävehof firmly believe in the chance to spring surprise

GROUP C PREVIEW: Györ and Viborg appear as favourites again on the second match day

Sävehof firmly believe in the chance to spring surprise

Györi Audi ETO KC as well as Viborg HK live up to their status as favourites in their first group matches, and despite playing away this Sunday, both teams appear as favourites again on match day two.

Defending Women's EHF Champions League winners Györ are going to Sweden to meet IK Sävehof, while the winners from 2006, 2009 and 2010, Viborg are flying to Zagreb to face HC Lokomotiva.

GROUP C
HC Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO) vs Vibor HK (DEN)
Sunday 26 October at 16.50 hrs local time, live on ehfTV

After having problems in the first half, Viborg opened their current Champions League campaign with a convincing 38:25 home win against Sävehof, while Lokomotiva lost 32:23 away against Györ.

“I hope we can improve our game for the next match,” Lokomotiva playmakers Sonja Basic said after the defeat to Györ, and improvement will probably be needed against Viborg.

Given the facts that Lokomotiva are Champions League debutants while Viborg have been in the tournament many times before and even won it three times, the Danish champions should have an advantage, simply due to their larger experience.

“I agree, but then again, experience alone is not always enough,” says Viborg's left back and defence specialist Rikke Skov who was part of the Viborg team all the three times, the Danish won the Champions League so far.

“Last year, in the qualification tournament, we also appeared to be more experienced than Baia Mare at that time, but still we lost against them.

“After all, we will be up against a team we do not know, and although we have seen some video on them, it is not the same as actually playing against them.

“However, Zagreb may be one of the places, where we can get two away points. That would just be fantastic, not least considering the way the tournament is built this year, where it is not only about qualifying for the main round, but also a question of taking as many points as possible with you,” Rikke Skov tells ehfCL.com.

IK Sävehof (SWE) vs Györ Audi ETO KC (HUN)
Sunday 26 October at 17.00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV

The reigning Champions League winners from the past two years, Györ are favourites to take their second win in a row in the group when entering Partillebohallen in Sweden Sunday afternoon.

After a little starting problems, the Hungarian champions opened their group stage campaign with a nine-goal win at home against Lokomotiva Zagreb, and Györ coach Ambros Martin was quite content after that game, when looking ahead on the upcoming tasks.

“I hope this will make a good basis for the next matches,” he said. The next match is then against Sävehof who lost by 13 in Viborg in their first match.

Sävehof managed to reach the main round last season and did well there, but they have lost several key players since then, so despite the home advantage for Swedish champions, everything seems to be pointing at another victory for Györ.

However, they are going to meet an optimistic home team who feel they have nothing to lose.

“It will be a great experience to play against Györ in the small Partillobohallen. I am pretty sure that they cannot help underestimating us a bit. So if we all are at our best, I think we can surprise them. I believe in us,” Sävehof left wing Louise Sand tells ehfCL.com.

TEXT: Peter Bruun / br