Recap
Buducnost had a catastrophic preparation period. In all the tournaments in which they took part, they didn’t win a single game, having five defeats by Podravka, Metz, Ferencvaros, CSM Bucharest, Krim, and only one draw in the last-second preparation match against Krim at Josip Samaržija-Bepo tournament in Koprivnica, Croatia. In the opening round at home against Bietigheim, they were easily beaten 22-27 by the German champions. Before the trip to Denmark, coach Bojana Popovic was brutally honest and said: „We don’t have an advantage either as a team, because we haven’t been together longer, nor as individuals. Simply, when I compare my players to opponent players it is like „earth and sky“. The team with seven new players is out of shape, far from the right form, and Popović’s words that she doesn’t see them as reinforcements, says enough about how satisfied she is with the team at her disposal. Against the German champion, out of those seven girls, only Kalidijatu Nijakate, Tanja Ivanović and Anastasija Marsenić were on the field, Noemi Hafra, Neslihan Čališkan and An-Katrin Gigerih sat on the bench, and Anastasija Babović was in the stands.
Odense has started the season incredibly superior, and after winning over Esbjerg in the Super Cup, they have blown away both Aarhus, Copenhagen, and Skanderborg with three big wins scoring 36, 37 and 42 goals. The coach from Norwegian Vipers Kristiansand, Gjekstad, arrived in Odense before the season and the main target is to win the Champions League, just like Vipers in recent seasons, The coach Gjekstad prefers an offensive and very quick style of play and this was confirmed in all league matches. Odense was additionally strengthened before the season, with the arrival of a Dutch goalkeeper Yara ten Holte from Dortmund, known for her quick passing. Then came the super wings, the Norwegian Malin Aune from CSM Bucharest, Halilcevic from Nykobing, Hansen from Copenhagen, and the Dutch van Wetering.
In the opening round of the Champions League group stage, they lost in Romania by CSM Bucharest 28-24, and this is a great chance to take a convincing victory.