Battle for final rankings continues as group phase nears conclusion
Even though the four teams going through to the quarter-finals are already known, there is still a lot to be played for in round 13 of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2025/26, and the last two rounds will influence the teams’ path to Cologne.
This could be the chance to win the group stage on our own. We have it all in our own hands. It is a bit different to play the game now, when both teams are already through to the quarter-finals, which I think was the greatest goal for both teams. But after tree losses in a row to Berlin, we are very motivated to go for the victory at home.
We go into every game with the will to win. That will also be the case now in Aalborg, because first and second place are at stake. We won the first leg and hope to do so again. Personally, I'm looking forward to playing against Juri Knorr. We know each other very well from the national team.
We need to play effectively in attack and quickly get back into defence to avoid counterattacks. We also need to defend well. It has to be a complete performance against a team that has youth and hunger to fight for the highest goals. When we play at home, in front of our fans, we have a slightly better chance.
We expect a very difficult game, especially since it's away from home, in a very adverse environment, but we will be ready to play. We will prepare and we will fight. It will be difficult, but this team is used to giving clearly good responses.
The match against Kolstad will be a very important one for us. It is the last game we are playing at home this season, in front of our fans, and that gives us extra motivation. We really want the two points at stake and we aim to finish our home run with a solid performance that rewards the support our fans have given us throughout this season.
Team spirit is great and we don't need extra motivation to play against a giant like PSG. We work very hard and we are ready for this challenge. I hope that our fans will be with us, because we need tham for a match like this.
Securing our qualification with the home win against Szeged last week was an important step for us, especially after the strong performance and victory in Zagreb two weeks earlier. Those two results reflect the progress and consistency we’ve been building in recent weeks. Now the challenge is to maintain that positive dynamic away in North Macedonia. Pelister are always a tough opponent at home, with great support behind them, so we will need to stay focused, disciplined and ambitious.
We are currently in fourth place, and we want to keep this position. To achieve that, we need to win against GOG on Thursday evening. It will certainly be a tough battle; our opponent is a fast and dynamic team. However, experience is on our side, and in such a tight match, that can prove decisive.
