Familiar SEHA faces, Telekom Veszprem and PPD Zagreb to clash in the next round

David Davis

After demanding away challenge in Brest, where domestic Meshkov Brest gave a great resistance until the last second, the two-times SEHA - Gazprom League champions, Telekom Veszprem, will play the first match in front of the home fans. 

Their opponents, PPD Zagreb, also had a difficult job in the first round where they took points in Sabac against very good  Metaloplastika. Clash of the Hungarian and Croatian champions is scheduled for Saturday, 7th of September at 7 PM (CET). 

Both Telekom Veszprem and PPD Zagreb currently have three points in Group B, so this will be the match that decides who will reach the highest positions on the table. 

David Davis, Telekom Veszprem coach:
PPD Zagreb are a well-known team and a big name in the SEHA League. They have a great coach, who previously worked in Celje. They have a young team that plays well and aggressive in defense with a good and effective running. 

Mate Lekai,Telekom Veszprem player:
PPD Zagreb are a team with a huge history, they compete in the EHF Champions League for years now. I expect a tough game. Branko Tamse was my coach in Celje. Their game is based on tough defense, from which they try to lead fast attacks. Their fast-breaks can be very dangerous. Naturally, no other result is acceptable than a victory on the home court. The team still has to improve, but I think that as the matches go on, everyone will play better and better. 

Branko Tamse, PPD Zagreb coach:  
Really tough game is ahead of us. We know how dangerous Veszprem is while playing on the home court. This season they are one of the main candidates to win the Champions League and the SEHA - Gazprom League. Their roster is really substantial, with a width that gives their coach a huge possibilities of tactical ideas. For sure, sold-out Veszprem Arena will wait for us, so we are going to play the best we can at this moment. We will see progress in the match if we play the way we analyzed and agreed this week and if we fight like lions during all 60 minutes on the court. 

David Mandic, PPD Zagreb player: 
After a well-played away match in Sabac and our victory,  the next round brings us a really strong opponent. We have done a good analysis and we know their strengths but also their weaknesses on which we will base our play. We cannot expect miracles, but for sure we will fight and put enormous efforts on the court.