31.10.2014, 11:20
Crunch time begins as main round berths loom

GROUP B PREVIEW: The third round of the Women’s EHF Champions League in this group is set to produce a pair of thrilling clashes on Sunday as all four teams aim to stay in the hunt for the second stage of the competition.

Crunch time begins as main round berths loom

While Buducnost can plausibly claim that they have one foot in the second group stage of Europe’s premier club competition, the other three teams in their section still have it all to do if they are to avoid an early exit.

The Montenegrin giants would virtually seal their spot if they beat Thüringer HC away but the German side, knowing that a win would boost their own hopes of advancing, should be a tough nut to crack in front of their vociferous fans.  

Podravka Vegeta are chasing their first points of the campaign and anything less than a win against Vardar would push them closer to finishing bottom of the group, but beating the Macedonian powerhouse will be a massive challenge for the Croatian outfit.

GROUP B
Thüringer HC (GER) vs Buducnost (MNE)
Sunday 2 November at 14.30 hrs local time, live on ehfTV

If they are to pull off an upset and come away with something against one of the Women’s EHF Champions League favourites, Thüringer will have to reproduce their home form which inspired them to a 33:20 rout of Podravka in the opening round.

It will be the fifth meeting between the two sides, with Buducnost winning three of the previous four. Thüringer’s only victory against the Montenegrins came two years ago on home court, when steely defence ensured an unlikely 24:20 success.

"Buducnost are a team full of world class players who have won an avalanche of trophies,” Thüringer HC coach Herbert Müller told the club’s official website (www.thueringer-hc.de).

“They play fantastic defence while their attacking options revolve around a brutally strong back court and their unstoppable line player Dragana Cvijic, so we face a mammoth task,” he said.

Having eased to comfortable wins against Vardar and Podravka in the opening two rounds, Buducnost will head to Germany confident of making it three out of three after their star-studded outfit fired on all cylinders.

Right back Katarina Bulatovic gelled back seamlessly after spending two years abroad, forming a lethal partnership with Cristina Neagu again after teaming up with the Romanian for the first time at Oltchim Ramnicu Valcea in the 2012/13 season.

With wingers Radmila Petrovic and Biljana Pavicevic also showing good form, coach Dragan Adzic has plenty of quality to choose from as reserve goalkeeper Marta Zderic showed that she can match the iconic Clara Woltering in every department.

Podravka Vegeta (CRO) vs WHC Vardar SCBT (MKD)
Sunday 2 November at 17.00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV

A convincing five-goal home win against Thüringer HC must have felt like a bed of feathers for Vardar after a rough ride in the opening round’s equally emphatic six-goal defeat by Buducnost, hence the Macedonian title holders will see the upcoming visit to Croatia as pivotal for their goal of finishing in the section’s top two.

The trip to Koprivnica comes against a backdrop of French playmaker Allison Pineau’s departure, who parted company with Vardar by mutual consent on Wednesday after knee surgery had sidelined her before the season even started.

Judging by their performances in the opening two rounds, the new-look Vardar are still a work in progress although new signing Andrea Penezic showed that she will be a valuable bonus after scoring eight goals in the 26:21 victory against Thüringer.

“We are looking forward to the upcoming games as a chance to get better and I concur that there is plenty of room for improvement,” coach Indira Kastratovic said after a gritty performance against the German side.

Podravka can also take a lot of positives after a 32:27 home defeat by Buducnost, rallying back from a 12:3 deficit to force a close finish after the evergreen Miranda Tatari led the comeback.

“We are under no pressure and have nothing to lose against a team of Vardar’s quality,” versatile line player Andrea Covic told the club’s official website (www.rk-podravka.hr).

Fellow pivot Dragica Dzono added: “We do, however, want to repay our fans for their faith and support, hence we will leave it all out there on the court. To have any hope of getting a result, we have to make a better start than we did when we trailed Buducnost 7:0 after the opening 10 minutes.”  

TEXT: Zoran Milosavljevic / br