06.04.2019, 01:00
Record participants face quarter-final debutants

QUARTER-FINAL PREVIEW: Two four-time Women's EHF Champions League winners, Katrine Lunde and Katarina Bulatovic, fight for a spot to Budapest with Vipers and Buducnost

Record participants face quarter-final debutants

The most experienced Women’s EHF Champions League club, Buducnost, who are participating in the Champions League for a record 23rd season, hope to book their fifth ticket for the DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 in Budapest. Their opponents, Norwegian champions Vipers Kristiansand, are to set to make their first ever appearance in the quarter-finals in just their second season in the top flight.

Both sides had the same record in the main round: four wins and two defeats. But Vipers enter the quarter-finals after finishing second below Györ in Group 1, while Buducnost finished third behind Metz and Rostov-Don in Group 2.

Buducnost are without team captain and centre back Milena Raicevic for both legs of the quarter-final tie due to a shoulder injury.

QUARTER-FINAL, FIRST LEG
Buducnost (MNE) vs Vipers Kristiansand (NOR)

Sunday, 7 April, 19:00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV.com

• Buducnost and Vipers have only faced each other twice in the Champions League, and the home team emegered victorious on both occasions in the 2017/18 group phase.

• Eight times in the last nine years, Buducnost have at least made it to the quarter-finals, reaching the Women’s EHF Champions League FINAL4 on four occasions.

• Last season, Buducnost were eliminated by subsequent champions Györ in the quarter-finals and missed the final tournament for the first time since its premiere in 2014.

• Vipers are the winners of the Norwegian cup and the regular season in Norway.

• There are two four-time Champions League winners clash in this duel: Katrine Lunde, who won the title with Viborg three times and Györ once, and Katarina Bulatovic, a winner with Slagelse, Györ and Buducnost (twice). In 2014, both won the trophy with Györ.

• Coach Gustav Ole Gjekstad and right back Linn Jorum Sulland faced Buducnost with Larvik in the 2015 Champions League final. On the other hand, coach Dragan Adzic, Katarina Bulatovic, Marina Rajcic and Milena Raicevic were part of the 2015 final, won 26:22 by Buducnost.
   

TEXT: Björn Pazen / jw