Alingsås and Nærbø eyeing home revenge
Alingsås HK and Nærbø IL lost in the first leg of their EHF European Cup Men semi-finals against CS Minaur Baia Mare and Drammen HK, respectively.
However, both of last weekend's defeated Nordic teams will look to do better at home, as they are aware that a strong comeback will put them through to the final.
- Alingsås will host Baia Mare on 30 April and will try to overcome a six-goal deficit following a 34:28 defeat last weekend
- the Swedish and Romanian sides both started their campaign in round 1 — and now they are aiming to reach the final
- on 1 May, Nærbø seemingly face an easier task than Alingsås. Nærbø lost the first leg of the Norwegian derby against Drammen by three goals, 30:27
- nearly two minutes from full-time, Drammen led 30:25, but Nærbø's Rassin Haugseng and John Thue scored two goals in the remaining time, making the tie somewhat closer ahead of the second leg
- however, Drammen have won all three mutual encounters with Nærbø this season, including two Norwegian league games
Clubs with different pedigree
The four semi-finalists are hardly in the same league if we look at their history. While Baia Mare won the IHF Cup in 1985 and 1988, and Drammen triumphed in the Challenge Cup in 1996, Nærbø are playing in their debut season in a European club competition. Having played a number of seasons in Europe without tasting success, two-time Swedish champions Alingsås sit somewhere in between.
No wonder Baia Mare and Drammen are seen as favourites in their semi-final ties, but now they need to defend their advantage away from home.
