Larvik in quarter-final after big win in Scandinavian derby
Women’s EHF Champions League winners from 2009, Larvik, became the first team to book a ticket for the quarter-finals this season and they also extended their club record to eight wins in a row.
A 31:17 home win against Viborg HK in Group 2 of the main round launched Larvik to their quarter-final berth.
Despite the big defeat, Viborg are still in with a shout of making it to the knock-out stage.
GROUP 2
Larvik (NOR) vs Viborg HK (DEN) 31:18 (18:10)
Viborg entered the Arena in Larvik with only eight players. In addition to seven injured players, the Danish champions were also missing right back Louise Burgaard and left back Rikke Skov who both were too ill play.
This meant that Viborg coach Christian Dalmose only had two goalkeepers and six field players at his disposal, so he had no way of making substitutions for his field players.
This obviously contributed to the home team’s relatively easy working conditions.
Viborg opened the match with a 5-1 defence, pushing centre back Sara Paulsen forward to the left side, and that troubled Larvik’s attacking play at the start.
It did not take the hosts long to solve the offensive Viborg defence, though, and the home team managed to go ahead 4:1 and 9:3.
This lead was soon extended to eight goals, which was also the gap at half-time, with Larvik leading 18:10.
Taking Viborg’s lack of resources into consideration, there was never doubt about a Larvik win, but at least Rikke Poulsen in the Viborg goal did her part in limiting the deficit.
However, Poulsen had to leave the goal and become a right winger 13 minutes into the second half, as one of Viborg’s only six field players Louise Lyksborg was hit with her third two minute suspension and thereby disqualified.
Even though Poulsen’s goalkeeping colleague Chana De Souza did her best, she could not save Viborg form a huge defeat either, and the end, Larvik booked a 14-goal win.
TEXT: Peter Bruun / bc
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