24.11.2014, 08:20
Kuban no match for last season's FINAL4 participants

ROUND REVIEW: Former Danish champions off to an easy start in the Cup Winners' Cup

Kuban no match for last season's FINAL4 participants

Kuban from Russia were not match for FC Midtjylland, as the former Danish champions entered the Women's Cup Winners' Cup this weekend.

FC Midtjylland, who reached the Women's EHF FINAL4 last season, left no doubt in the double header in the Ikast Brande Arena, where they won the first leg Saturday 34:23, and the second match Sunday even clearer, 31:17.

“You could not even see that we won by 11 yesterday. Our defence was ready from the start, and personally, I also had a better start than yesterday. We started by making many mistakes, but we improved in a hurry,” FC Midtjylland keeper Sabine Englert said after the second match.

HC Odense were close to catching up with Randers HK in the all Danish meeting. After Randers had won 30:26 at home last Sunday, Odense soon equalised that lead in the second leg at home on Saturday.

The hosts were leading 13:9 in the first half and 17:13 at half-time, and in the second half Odense were even leading 21:16. However, in the final minutes, Randers came back and claimed a 28:28 draw, which sent them on to the Last 16 with a four-goal win on aggregate.

“We lost our defence in the first 15 minutes of the second half, and they caught up with our lead. That is a bit disappointing, but I think we played a fine match,” said Odense's Swedish international Jessica Helleberg, who scored 11 goals in the second match.

In the other entirely Scandinavian clash in the third round, Tertnes Bergen sent their Norwegian league colleagues, Nordstrand Handball Elite out of the competition 52:45 on aggregate. Having won the first leg 22:19 away, Tertnes made sure of their Last 16 berth with a 30:26 victory at home in Haukelandshallen. Nordstrand were leading 16:14 at half-time and 20:16 during the second half, but did not manage to hold on to that lead.

“Tertnes succeeded with everything they did in the last 15 minutes. We can take the first 45 minutes with us, that was some of the best handball we have played against Tertnes,” Norstrand coach Bendik Berg told his club's website.

WHC Radnicki Kragujevac failed to qualify for the Women's EHF Champions League despite hosting their qualification group.

This weekend, the Serbian side found consolation in the Cup Winners' Cup, as they followed their 29:28 way against U Alexandrian Cluj by defeating their Romanian adversaries 24:19 at home on Sunday evening.

Find all the results of the Women's Cup Winnners' Cup Round 3 matches here

TEXT: Peter Bruun / br