03.04.2015, 02:00
Baia Mare expect to complete revival against Dinamo

QUARTER-FINAL PREVIEW: Baia Mare are vying for their first MVM FINAL4 berth, after a slow start of the season

Baia Mare expect to complete revival against Dinamo

There is very little separating HCM Baia Mare and Dinamo-Sinara before their clash in the Women’s EHF Champions League Quarter-finals. While Baia Mare is on course for their best season to date, Dinamo will attempt to emulate their 1999/00 feat of reaching the semi-finals.

Women's EHF Champions League Quarter-final Leg 1
HCM Baia Mare (ROU) vs Dinamo-Sinara (RUS)
Saturday 4 April, 18:00 hrs local time live on ehfTV.com

A dreadful season was on the cards for HCM Baia Mare, after the Romanian champions entered the Women’s EHF Champions League Main Round without a single point.

However, this season’s greatest turnaround saw Baia Mare place third in Group 2, after winning both at home and away against Viborg HK and Savehof IK.

Having reached the last eight for the first time in history, HCM Baia Mare are on the verge to become the second Romanian team to reach the semi-finals after Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea.

But if Baia Mare wish to emulate Oltchim’s achievements, the Romanian champions need a flawless first leg against Dinamo-Sinara.

”I think Dinamo are one of the most interesting teams this season. Their upped their form and got better game by game. I think that their back line is their biggest advantage, but I see this as a 50/50 game,” said Tone Tiselj, Baia Mare’s coach and the mastermind behind the club’s amazing comeback.

Dinamo’s three-pronged attack of Anna Kochetova, Olga Akopian and Daria Dmitrieva, who have scored 60% of the Russian champions’ goals in this year’s European top flight is also seen as Dinamo’s best weapon by Paula Ungureanu, Baia Mare’s goalkeeper.

”They are an experienced team, I wouldn’t want to pinpoint their biggest threat, but they are amazing from the nine-metre line.”

The close-fought game will also feature an unexpected reunion, featuring Ksenia Makeeva and her former teammates. The 24-year old line player left Dinamo last summer, after eight seasons, to play for Baia Mare.

More than 3,000 die-hard fans will unleash an intimidating atmosphere in Baia Mare on Saturday and hope Dinamo will collapse under the pressure.

Viktor Ryabykh’s side failed to win their seventh Russian championship, after being eliminated in the quarter-final phase by Astrahanochka Astrakhan, after Dinamo’s opponents won the final two games (42:41 and 23:19), which took place on Monday and Tuesday.

TEXT: Adrian Costeiu / cor