02.04.2015, 06:00
Clash of titans beckons as Vardar take on holders Györ

QUARTER-FINAL PREVIEW: Defending Women’s EHF Champions League title holders Györi Audi ETO face a stern test of their credentials against Macedonian giants WHC Vardar SCBT, as both teams aim to reach a second successive MVM EHF FINAL4

Clash of titans beckons as Vardar take on holders Györ

Vardar and Györ have managed to stay out of each other’s way last season and through the group stages this term, but their eagerly awaited double-header was imminent after the Macedonian champions finished third in their main round group while the holders came second in theirs.

The two-leg tie, with the first leg being played in the Macedonian capital, is bound to produce spectacular handball as the star-studded outfits boasting a stack of household names take centre stage in the Women's EHF Champions League Quarter-finals.

Women's EHF Champions League Quarter-final Leg 1
WHC Vardar SCBT (MKD) vs Györi Audi ETO (HUN)
Saturday 4 April, 19:00 hrs local time live on ehfTV

Of the four quarter-final double-headers in Europe’s premier club competition, the match-up between Vardar and Györ is without a shadow of a doubt the one most likely to keep handball fans around Europe on the edge of their seats throughout both legs.

It will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides after Vardar, boosted by heavy investment from the club’s owners, rocketed from the doldrums and became a rising force in women’s club handball.

Having reached the MVM EHF FINAL4 last year at the first time of asking, Vardar lost a dramatic semi-final to Buducnost before beating Danish rivals Midtjylland in the third-place match.

Gyor, on the other hand, went on to win their second successive title and in order to make it a treble; they will have to knock out the most difficult last-eight opposition they could have asked for.

It will be an emotional clash too for some of Europe’s handball stars taking part in this double-header, notably for Vardar’s centre back Andrea Lekic and right wing Jovanka Radicevic, both of whom won the 2013 title with Gyor before moving on to their present team.

“We were part of this machine and although Györ are the favourites to reach the FINAL4, we hope to spring an upset because no visiting team has found playing in Skopje comfortable and we expect that trend to continue on Saturday,” Lekic told a news conference on Thursday.

“We haven’t been consistent in the Champions League this season but I expect us to shine against Györ, although we mustn’t burn out, meaning that we have to keep cool heads,” Radicevic added.

Coach Indira Kastratovic said: “The most important thing is that we have no injured players and we must dictate the tempo from the start. We’ve worked hard and are confident that we can stand our ground.” 

Györ enjoyed a perfect warm-up for the clash in Skopje, beating traditional rivals FTC Rail Cargo Hungaria 29:23 in the Hungarian Cup final with Aniko Kovacsics scoring a game-high 10 goals (including seven penalties), to cap a blistering individual performance.

TEXT: Zoran Milosavljevic / cor