Partizan vs Porto in Champions League: Must-Win Handball
Belgrade's side has no points after four rounds, and Porto has beaten only them so far. Partizan plays for third place in Group A and an easier opponent in the European League.
After beating Radnicki Kragujevac in round six of the ARKUS Superliga, Lazar Andjelkovic used the microphone for a message that had nothing to do with that game. The five-goal scorer and player of the match said:
“I would like to take this opportunity to call on the fans to support us against Porto in the Champions League. This is the approach we need in that match as well, and I hope we will repeat tonight’s performance.”
The answer to that call comes on Wednesday, October 21. Partizan hosts Porto at 6:45 p.m. in the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, formerly Pionir, in round five of Group A in the Champions League. Vesprem plays Fikse Berlin at the same time.
Where do Partizan and Porto stand in Group A?
After four rounds, Vesprem has 8 points, Fikse Berlin 6, Porto 2, and Partizan none. The Portuguese side has beaten only the black and whites so far, winning the first meeting 32-28. According to Novosti’s calculations, Vesprem and Fikse Berlin continue in the Champions League, while Partizan and Porto drop into the second-strongest European competition.
That makes Wednesday’s game a fight for third place in the group.
What does a win by more than four goals bring?
Because of the defeat in the first game, not every win is enough for Partizan. According to Novosti, only a margin of more than four goals would give them third place and a somewhat easier opponent in the European League.
What is Partizan saying?
Head coach Raul Gonzales sees his team on the rise, but he looks for the problem in the finish of their attacks:
“We will fight to beat Porto. I think we are getting better and better. We played well in Vesprem, but we made mistakes in the attacking phase, we didn’t convert our one-on-one chances against the goalkeeper, and that affected the result. I feel we are getting better as a team, but better finishing is the key to winning. In the first game against Vesprem their goalkeeper made 24 saves, in the second 18. We can’t allow that. To win in the Champions League we have to make better use of our chances.”
Left winger Mladen Sotic is counting on a full Pionir:
“We have to go out on court ready to win. There is progress, the game in Vesprem really looked better on our side. I hope we continue at the same rhythm, we also had good preparation in the domestic league. I would like Pionir to be fuller and the atmosphere better, to carry us, and I hope people will recognize what we do here, how much we give for the Partizan crest. Porto is a strong European team, but it is up to us to play our best and win.”
Milos Kos points out that Porto played well against Berlin last week:
“Porto is a very serious team. They played excellently against Berlin last week, it was very tight. I expect a real man’s game. You could say they are a team that suits us, and I think it is time to record our first win and to be as ready as possible for the last game of the group stage, when we play away at Berlin. We are progressing step by step. We still have to improve our running and the way we handle one-on-one situations with the goalkeeper, to improve our efficiency in the attacking phase.”
Since the final round is played in Berlin, Wednesday is Partizan’s last group game in front of the home crowd.
What is the form going into the Porto game?
Partizan came into Wednesday off a convincing win over Radnicki. The Serbian champion played against the Kragujevac side with a single pivot, Ivanic, because Vagner joined the injured Micic on the sidelines. Trnavac shone in goal with 20 saves, and Crnoglavac, Sotic and Ivanic scored six goals each. Gonzales said then:
“We prepared for this match with great respect for the opponent, because Radnicki produced a surprise against Vojvodina. Their coach is doing an excellent job, but when a goalkeeper has a great night and opens the game with a few saves, it is hard for the rival to come back.”
What about children and tickets?
Children under seven do not pay for entry. The club has also given away 300 tickets to youth categories of clubs from Serbia, and says that in the previous two home games, against Fikse Berlin and Vesprem, it launched a real initiative with the youngest fans and that the turnout was large.
