Champions League Men | 14 Feb 2019

Zoran PRIMORAC seeks improvement for semi-final clash with Borussia Dusseldorf

UMMC coach comments 2018/19 TTCLM quarter-finals

 

Russian club UMMC, 2011/12 runner-up of TTCLM, managed to survive in the exciting second leg of the quarter-finals against German side Post SV Muhlahausen, but their coaching staff is aware that the team should improve its shape in order to be competitive against reigning champion Borussia Dusseldorf.

 

UMMC won first quarter-final leg in Germany 3:2, but Muhlhausen responded by the same victory in the Russian city of Verkhnaya Pyshma last weekend. The winner was decided according point-ratio (5:5 matches, 20:20 sets, 388:376 points).

 

 “The match with Muhlhausen was very dramatic. We started it well: FANG Bo won 3-0, Andrej GACINA played very hard - two match points”, explained UMMC coach Zoran PRIMORAC. “Then we gave up a little, and psychologically it was already very hard. At the same time, I saw that the German team was getting better. IONESCU was very good, HABESOHN just brilliantly played, and probably it was one of his best matches. FANG Bo, too, was the playmaker. He was able to show character, bravo to him! However, you know, you do not need such dramatic matches. You need to play hard right away in order not to count the points afterwards. Yes, we were lucky - we reached the semi-finals, but Borussia is ahead. We must prepare very well, such mistakes are not allowed in the semi-finals”.

 

Semi-final games will be held on March 7th in Russia and March 21st in Dusseldorf. Borussia eliminated Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki with two 3:1 victories.