Viborg win big against Rapid in first leg of the quarter-finals

QUARTER-FINALS, LEG 1

Viborg HK (DEN) vs CS Rapid Bucuresti (ROU) 35:26 (19:14)

Top scorers: Marielle Martinsen 9/12 (Viborg HK); Mariana Ferreira Lopes 4/6, Eliza Buceschi 4/7, Albertina Kassoma 4/8 (CS Rapid Bucuresti)

• the inspired hosts led throughout the first half and held a six-goal lead (18:12) ahead of the half-time break
• Albertina Kassoma scored three goals in the first half, as Rapid's line player caused all kinds of trouble with her dominant performance
• CS Rapid Bucuresti improved after the half-time break and even narrowed Viborg's advantage to only two goals (23:21), but then followed a six-goal run (29:21) from the hosts, which ultimately decided the winner
• Viborg HK successfully deployed a seven-on-six offence in the second half, showing variety in attack
• Louise Bak Jensen made nine saves at 31 per cent efficiency between Viborg HK's posts
• one of Rapid's best players, Estavan Polman, spent the match on the bench, while Sara Ristovska is still recovering from injury

Viborg's back line runs the show in the first leg

With pace and efficiency as Viborg's main trumps this season, the Anders Friis-led squad set the tone early in the opening minutes, with Jana Mittún, Clara Thomsen and Simone Petersen displaying a blink-and-you-miss-it performance. The attacking trident created chances with ease and made full use of CS Rapid Bucuresti's technical errors with lightning-quick fast breaks, which enabled the hosts to establish full control, as the attacking trio combined for 12 goals altogether in the first half. One of the competition's top scorers, Marielle Martinsen, joined the scoring show in the second half and the talented back player added a new dimension to Viborg's offence by scoring nine goals, leaving CS Rapid Bucuresti without answers for the hosts' power.

Main photo © Johnny Pedersen