Kolstad and Zagreb face each other in MOTW as the group phase looms to an end
In group A, Kiel have the opportunity to go one step closer to the quarter-finals if they beat Pelister at home, while Aalborg can book their play-offs berth against Szeged. Paris and Kielce are chasing the two leaders and will play against each other on Thursday, as will Kolstad and Zagreb.
In group B, Barça can become the first team to secure a quarter-final spot, if they beat FC Porto and Telekom Veszprém do not win against GOG. SC Magdeburg aim to extend their winning streak against Celje, while Plock hope for the third win in their last four matches against Montpellier.
We need to put Sunday’s disappointment in the Cup behind us and look forward. We are in a very good position in the EHF Champions League and still have it in our own hands ending top two in the group. We played a really good match last week against Zagreb, and we need to take those good moments with us into the game against a very good Szeged team.
Playing against Aalborg will be one of the toughest games of the season by far. The importance of this game cannot be understated and will for sure decide in the future who will be number one and two in this group. We all know how much is at stake and we really hope that we can be able to deliver a great match and challenge the home favourites Aalborg.
Now we have a match which will most likely be decisive for further play in the EHF Champions League and that tells us something about how important this match will be. We have delivered some good performances in Trondheim Spektrum earlier, and we want to continue with that. We will show our best side to the local spectators, we love them!
"We managed to beat them by a huge margin in Zagreb, but we are aware how good of a team they have. It is an important match for both of us, and we know we will have to be much better than we were against Aalborg if we want to secure points in this one. We know of their strengths and weaknesses, and we will try to work on them, deliver the best possible outing, and hope for the best in the end.
For us, the game against Pelister is one of three finals in the battle to win the group. We want to qualify directly for the quarter-finals, and a win against Pelister would be incredibly important for that. We know that Pelister are stronger than the table suggests and they will be playing without pressure. That makes them a dangerous team and we have to play with full focus against them.
THW Kiel is a club with a huge tradition, but this year they play with up and downs in the domestic championship. Their focus is winning the Champions League title, they play top handball and are strong in all segments of the game.
For us this is a great chance to see how close or far we are from them and we will have the opportunity to understand where we must improve if we want to deal with the giants in the future.
Facing Kielce is always a big clash in the Champions League. We remember the first leg, when it came down to details, and we only lost by one goal in their arena. We'll have to play almost to perfection to beat them, because they are a great team. But we've got a squad that's made for this kind of event, and I have a great confidence in our squad to transcend themselves in matches like this.
We know it’s going to be a very difficult game in Paris. We have to play hard and good, of course. Avoid mistakes in attack and defence. I’m sure it’s going to be a good fight. Our group is very difficult, between the second and fifth teams there’s only one point gap. A loss will put everyone in a difficult position.
It will be a very tough match for us, but this is the one we are all looking forward to. For me, Magdeburg play the most beautiful and the quickest handball in Europe. We will give everything we can to play a good match.
The defeat in Hanover won't knock us down. It's important to not let our heads drop now and to build on our previous strong performances in Celje.
Montpellier have a very balanced team, extremely strong in defence and very fast on the counterattack. In addition, they have a great coach, thanks to whom they play very good handball. It will be a difficult meeting, but we are playing at home and with the help of our fans, who will fill the ORLEN Arena, we have to get two points.
We will play against a team on Thursday whose style of play does not always suit us. We did not achieve a good result against them last year and this year either. They are in great form at the moment, they beat Aalborg in the final of the Danish Cup in a fantastic match. Thus, I expect a great battle.
Champions League matches are the matches that everyone always wants to play and we haven't played them at the Palau for a long time. We really want to be reunited with the fans in a match like this. Porto forces to prepare many things before playing against them: they can defend in 6-0, in 5-1, or even with a mixed defence. In attack they are difficult to handle. We are Barça, we want to win all the games and we don't just want to reach the quarter-finals, we want to finish top of the group if possible.
We'll be playing against one of the best teams in the world in our sport, so we'll have to step up and take advantage of this excellent opportunity to be among the best! If we can add points to our rankings in this game, it will be a very good result!
