14.11.2014, 02:20
Visitors are favourites

GROUP A PREVIEW: After Leipzig secured the main round passage in the previous round two more teams can follow over this weekend.

  Visitors are favourites

In the Round 5 of the Women's EHF Champions League Group Matches the Slovenian champions Krim travel to Vienna for another pair of points and the main round ticket, while Dinamo tries to reclaim top spot in Germany against the current leaders HC Leipzig.  

Hypo Niederösterreich (AUT) v RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
Saturday 15 November at 17:25 local time, live on ehfTV

The reverse fixtures kicked off this season's campaign and there were a lot of unknowns for the perennial champions of their respective nations who had to endure big changes to their roster during the summer break. A month later things are much clearer - Krim obviously have managed to create a respectable unit out of a motley crew of home an foreign talent while Hypo are struggling to find their mojo.

The match in Ljubljana ended in a resounding 32:20 home victory. That puts Krim in the role of the favourite, while coach Marta Bon's girls will try to forget the last painful defeat against Dinamo as soon as possible.

"We have decreased our tempo too much in the last match. Hypo do not rotate much, so we will have to keep the rhythm as strong as possible," reveals line player Sanja Gregorc.

There are a lot of areas in which Hypo need to improve and attack is one of them. Gorica Acimovic desperately needs help as she alone has contributed nearly 30 percent of all the goals for the Austrian side, who are aware that their days this season will be numbered unless they beat Krim.

HC Leipzig (GER) v Dinamo-Sinara (RUS)
Sunday 16 November at 14:30 local time, live on ehfTV

After overcoming Krim in Ljubljana in the last round, Dinamo are gunning for the top spot in the group. In the nail-biting finish all of the Russian side's qualities came to light and they will draw on this experience in Germany as well. Anna Kochetova with Daria Dmitrieva will pose the biggest threat in the backcourt, while Anna Sedoykina is a formidable force in goal.

After two back to back victories over Hypo that have ensured the promotion, Leipzig are again facing top quality opposition. They also remember the 19:27 defeat in Volgograd. After a tough match and a bundesliga loss in Leverkusen (29:30) the confidence of the current group leaders is dented a bit.

Norman Rentsch's players will have to play beyond themselves for a shock result. But if Katja Schülke in goal has another great performance and if Katarina Kudlacz ups her attacking prowess something big just might happen in Leipzig.

"On Sunday we will try to stop Kudlacz and in both remaining matches I expect only victories for my team. I think that Dinamo deserves first position in our group and we will all give our best to make this happen. I also believe that my team is worthy of reaching the FINAL4," the Dinamo teenage back court Dmitrieva said for ehfCL.com.

TEXT: Grega Sever / br