03.04.2015, 03:00
Underdogs strengthened before taking on Buducnost

QUARTER-FINAL PREVIEW: Injured players returning to Viborg HK ahead of tough test against competition’s main contenders

Underdogs strengthened before taking on Buducnost

Buducnost fly to Denmark as obvious favourites before the first leg of their quarter-final tie against Viborg, but they will be facing a reinforced Danish team on Sunday.

Women’s EHF Champions League Quarter-final Leg 1
Viborg HK (DEN) vs Buducnost (MNE)
Sunday 5 April, 16:50 local time live on ehfTV

If you look at the results achieved by the teams so far in the Women's EHF Champions League, there is no doubt that Buducnost are clear favourites before meeting Viborg HK in the quarter-final first leg in Viborg Stadionhal on Easter Sunday.

Having gone through group matches as well as main round as undefeated, dropping only one point along the way, the Montenegrin champions cannot possibly escape the role as favourites against Viborg, who secured the quarter-final berth from fourth position in their main round group on the very last match day.

However, Sunday’s encounter will see a Viborg team considerably strengthened, compared to their main round matches, entering the court.

The injury list, which was extremely long for quite some time, has become shorter lately.

Key players such as playmaker Isabelle Gulldén and line player Mette Gravholt are back.

“It means a lot to our team that they are back – also because it means that some of us can get a rest on the bench from time to time. That will mean a lot against a team like Buducnost,” finds another key player at Viborg, Rikke Skov, who is not afraid of the prominent opponent.

“We are really looking forward to meeting one of the best teams in Europe. As underdogs, I think we can play freely, but of course we are playing to win. It would just be so cool to go on in the tournament,” says Skov.

The reinforced Viborg team also demands respect, according to Buducnost’s Danish player, right back Camilla Dalby.

“Viborg have a really strong first seven, and they are a team with an enormous international experience, so we have the greatest respect for them,” says Dalby.

TEXT: Peter Bruun / cor