by Simon Daish
Borussia Düsseldorf defeated TTSC UMMC at the quarter-finals stage of the competition with a 3-0 victory over the Russian side in the 1st leg handing the German champions a significant advantage.
The 2nd leg proved to be slightly more problematic for Borussia Düsseldorf as TTSC UMMC hit back with a 3-2 win in Germany but, despite the slightly disappointing outcome for Düsseldorf in front of the home fans, coach Danny Heister is relieved to see his team through to the last four.
“It was a very tight game to make the semi-finals clear… Anton [Kallberg] didn’t bring his performance and conceded a clear defeat. Then there was real pressure on Timo [Boll], but he mastered really well and with his victory got the missing point. Kristian [Karlsson] also played really well… which made me very happy… I`m just so happy that we’ve reached the semi-final.” Danny Heister
While the majority of Düsseldorf’s joy in the quarter-finals came from the 1st leg it was quite the opposite for TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen, who very much relied on a dramatic comeback effort in the 2nd leg of its tie against FC Saarbrücken.
Following a 3-2 home defeat Ochsenhausen put in a spirited showing in Saarbrücken, reversing its fortunes with a 3-1 victory to sneak through.
Ochsenhausen president Kristijan Pejinovic was delighted with the performance in the 2nd leg in particular and is convinced that the team can mount a decent attempt to reach the title match.
“Compliments to all our players for this great team performance and the confident play but also a compliment to the coaching staff! Everything was fine this time. We deserve it after all our efforts and injuries this season. I’m confident that we will show our real face in the semi-finals, but it will certainly depend on whether Simon Gauzy is in good shape by then.” Kristijan Pejinovic
Source: ETTU