Kiel and PSG need miracles to proceed
The last step towards the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 is ahead on Wednesday and Thursday, when the second quarter-final legs are going to be played. Barça (30:22 against PSG) and Montpellier (39:30 against Kiel) carry major advantages to the second leg, while Veszprém (against Aalborg) and Kielce (against Magdeburg) have won their home matches by only a one-goal difference. Two handball legends might have their last international club matches of their careers, which end after this season: Mikkel Hansen (Aalborg) and Nikola Karabatic (PSG).
After we know which teams are one step closer to the EHF Champions League title, the draw which sets the semi-finals pairings for the men's and women's competition will take place on 7 May, in Budapest, starting at 17:00 CEST.
It was a crazy game in Veszprém, we got a really good start and really showed that we can match them, unfortunately we lost a bit of momentum and control in the last part of the game and led Veszprém back in. But now we can secure the ticket to Cologne at home, which is a really strong advantage for us even though we know it will be really hard. Cologne is definitely one of our biggest goals this season, and I hope to be able to experience it for the first time.
We learnt a lot from the first game. We did not play well at the first half, while Aalborg performed well, and Niklas Landin made several savas in the first minutes. I think this made a difference. After the break we came back with a lot of intensity and we showed our ambitions and out motivations. We will try to do the same in Denmark. I think the second half was better and it would be important to perform like this away from home. We will work to be better and win the game.
I'm hoping for a great atmosphere in a sold out arena and that the fans will cheer for us just as they did in Kielce.
We are not going as favourites. Defence and goalkeeping will be key. In the first match, the goalkeepers played at a good level. I admire them because they had a lot of one-on-one action. We need to improve our attack a bit. But the most important things in this match will be heart and character.
Unfortunately, we don't have a good starting position, but with our fans and the atmosphere in our arena, anything is possible. We need every voice, every fan - then anything is possible. There are days like that in sports, I have experienced it with Croatia: we had to win by eleven goals in Poland, played in front of 20,000 spectators and made it in the end because we believed in it.
We prepared for the match as if we had lost by six, not won by eight. That’s the right mentality. The match will be really tough, we know it and we trained giving our best.
