20.05.2016, 12:13
ABC/UMinho with a job to finish

FINAL PREVIEW: Being six goals ahead after the first leg, ABC/UMinho have a great chance to win the EHF Challenge Cup when they receive Benfica in the second leg of the all-Portuguese final.

ABC/UMinho with a job to finish

The odds are in favour of ABC/UMinho ahead of the return match in the entirely Portuguese final of the Men's Challenge Cup.

Being six goals up (28:22) after the first match away against S.L. Benfica, ABC are in an extremely good position ahead of the second leg at home in Braga. Yet, the favourites still see mistakes they can correct.

Men's Challenge Cup Final, second leg
ABC/UMinho (POR) vs S. L. Benfica (POR)
Saturday 21 May, 18:00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV

All signs are pointing towards a triumph for ABC before the second leg of the final in the Pavilhao Flavio Sa Leite in Braga on Saturday evening.

Having won the first leg in Lisbon as clearly as 28:22, ABC have definitely put themselves in a favourable position to take their first European title and revenge the defeat against Romanian side Odorhei in the final of the Challenge Cup last year.

In the first match in the Portuguese capital last Saturday, ABC were successful in taking the pace out of the game, and if Benfica want to have any chance in the return match, they will have to dictate the pace.

However, despite the clear win in the first leg, ABC right back Pedro Spinola still thinks there are aspects in their game his team needs to improve: "We have to reduce the technical errors and the lack of concentration that happens sometimes and is really bad in games at this level.

"We also want to try to stay calm and keep our pace in the game," said the 32-year-old back court player, who scored six goals in the first match.

TEXT: Peter Bruun / es, cor