EHF European Cup

Midtjylland cruise to EHF Cup quarter-final

EHF / br

04 February 2013, 09:16

Midtjylland cruise to quarter-final

Trine Stenbæk Troelsen scored in total 13 goals in two matches in Zagorje, Slovenia as FC Midtjylland became the first quarter-finalists of the Women´s EHF Cup last weekend. The double winners of this competition from 2002 (known as Ikast Bording) and 2011 reached the next stage even without the home support as they beat RK GEN-I Zagorje twice – 31:28 and 28:22 in the Last 16 double-match.

“We had watched the video of the Saturday match before the second leg and were better prepared than they were. They had a hard time scoring on us and at the same time, we scored some good goals,” the FCM website quoted Helle Thomsen, the head coach after the second match.

Pia Ugrin had an impressive shooting performance with 11 goals in the first match for the home team, but neither she nor her teammates were able to threaten the comfortable cushion of the favourites.

Midtjylland´s next hurdle on the way to the third title will be determined by a draw on Tuesday, 12 February in Vienna. “I just hope, that we do not encounter with another Danish team. When you play in the European Cup, you want to meet a European team rather than a Danish,” Thomsen added.

The second Danish team in the Last 16, Team Tvis Holstebro failed to score over 30 goals for the fifth time in a row, but even staying six below was enough to defeat the defending holders of the EHF Cup, Lada Togliatti by five goals (24:19) and keep their excellent average per match at 36 goals.

Ann Grete Nørgaard-Osterballe netted nine goals in front of 1238 spectators in Gråkjær Arena.

“I am really satisfied with our defence, our players covered their opponents very well and having conceded only 19 goals is a good achievement. However, we should have scored more goals,” Niels Agesen, the head coach of TTH said for the official club website.

In Metz, France the record crowd of the weekend (4200) was served a thrilling course by both teams in the Les Arenes as the home team were trailing by four goals during the match with KGHM Metraco Zaglebie Lubin, but the 2-4 defence in the last 15 minutes helped the record French champions to rally and win by the narrowest margin 29:28.

The other French team, HAC Handball was not that fortunate in Bergen, Norway as Tertnes managed to increase the tiny one-goal half-time lead to the very promising ten goals victory (33:23) over the reigning Challenge Cup winners.

In Skopje´s Boris Trajkovski Arena Biljana Crvenkoska scored eight goals for ŽRK Vardar SCBT, but Ekaterina Ilina answered with nine for Russia´s HC "Kuban" Krasnodar as the home team ground out only a narrow 30:28 victory in front of 2500 spectators.

Three more pairings will get in the Last 16 action only next weekend (9/10 February) with double-headers.