Larvik firmly believe in a win in Baia Mare
On the second match day in Group A, HCM Baia Mare are going to try and get their second win, as they host Larvik, but the Norwegians travel to Romania with plenty of optimism despite their clear opening defeat to Rostov-Don.
Rostov-Don, on the other hand, have a lot of respect for RK Krim Mercator before their home game against the Slovenian champions.
GROUP A
HCM Baia Mare (ROU) vs Larvik (NOR)
Friday 23 October 18:00 local time, live on ehfTV
Baia Mare opened their Champions League campaign with a clear 33:27 win away against RK Krim Mercator, but the home team was actually able to put their opponents under pressure for considerable parts of the match, so the win was not as clear as the final score indicates.
Baia Mare are playing their first home game in the group matches, with last season’s finalists Larvik as their guests.
Larvik did not get the start to the tournament they had expected, as they were defeated 27:21 at home by Rostov-Don.
Still, Larvik coach Tor Odvar Moen believes firmly in his team’s chances in Romania.
“The match against Rostov-Don was something special and peculiar, and we have put that behind us. However, it means that we now have played one Champions League match this season, and that experience will be good for us, I think,” Tor Odvar Moen tells ehfCL.com.
“I think we have a very good chance against Baia Mare, even though they are obviously a strong team,” adds the coach who is still missing injured Anja Hammerseng-Edin, Alina Wojtas and Tine Stange along with pregnant Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth Koren.
“We were hoping to have Anja fit for Friday, but we will have to wait until the Krim game.
“However, we have full confidence in the players we take with us to Romania, and we definitely believe in a win there,” the Larvik coach emphasises.
Moen’s adversary Baia Mare coach Aurelian Rosca is slightly more cautious:
“We are up against the runners-up from last year's Champions League and it will be an important game for both teams.
“We want to show we can play good handball that will please the spectators,” says Rosca.
Rostov-Don (RUS) vs RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
Saturday 24 October 16:00 local time, live on ehfTV
Rostov-Don stunned great parts of the handball word, and definitely the Norwegian part of it, by winning 27:21 away against Larvik.
That achievement has made many people see the Russian Champions League debutants as hot contenders for the title this season, and it obviously makes them favourites at home against Krim who lost their first group match 33:27 at home against Baia Mare.
However, Rostov-Don coach Jan Leslie sees some warning signs.
“I think Krim’s result against Baia Mare is a bit deceiving. Last season they won in Volgograd, so we are prepared for another tough match, in which we will have to perform well to take another win,” Jan Leslie tells ehfCL.com.
“We are humble and happy with the win against Larvik, but this is a new match, and the points we got in Larvik will be of no use to us if we do not win at home against Krim, so we will have to be 100 per cent focused from the start,” he adds.
“It will be decisive that we play very physically, and have a deep roster, so we can run and run.
“It is also a question of shooting well and running back, as Krim run well.
“A win is a must, but we can only get a win if we perform at one hundred per cent,” finds the Rostov-Don coach.
TEXT: Peter Bruun / bc
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