Nexe to host Vojvodina in a re-match of the season's opener
On Saturday, 19th of October at 3 PM (CET) Croatian Nexe will host Vojvodina in King's Tomislav sports hall. It will be the 6th round clash of the SEHA - Gazprom League. After the matches played in the Group A, Vojvodina stand much better on the table than last season's SEHA Final 4 participant.
In four maches played, team from Novi Sad have got three victories and one defeat. Nexe have total opposite result with one victory and four defeats. So this will be maybe the last chance for Nexe to continue the fight for play-off matches.
Vojvodina won easier than expected in their first clash in Novi Sad at the start of the season. In the first round in sports hall Slana Bara they defeated Nexe with 29:23 (13:11). So, team from Nasice will want to forget that defeat and win this time. It won't be easy because lots of Nexe players have got problems with illnesses and injuries. Good news for Nexe coach Hrvoje Horvat will be that after almost six months Tomi Vozab will be back on the court.
Hrvoje Horvat, Nexe coach:
In the first match of the season it turned out that Vojvodina were a good team and we were not at the level we wanted to be. In the meantime, we have worked hard and I am sure we will be in good shape this Saturday with agressive defense and the home crowd that will be able to enjoy our play. Only on Saturday we will know which players will run out onto the court, as several of them are currently under flu and some are still repairing their injuries. We are sure Tomi Vozab will be back in the lineup after a long time, but his devastating shot is yet to come and we are pleased that he is slowly returning to form.
Moreno Car, Nexe goalkeeper:
It will surely be a very difficult match since Vojvodina have the best team in the last few years, and we saw that in the first round. We will do our best on Saturday and I am convinced of our victory.
Boris Rojevic, Vojvodina coach:
We are going to play against our old rival. I think we have never celebrated in Nasice and therefore have no right to threaten. Nexe, on the other hand, are a serious team, even stronger than last season when they played at the SEHA Final 4 tournament. Perhaps now they are Zagreb's most serious competitor in the Croatian championship, and in this League they want to go again all the way to the end. I expect a great match. I do not know yet what players I will have on disposition. Milasevic, who is an important player to us especially in defense, and who played in the first match against Nexe where we saw what good defense can do on the court, is still questionable. These are some circumstances that affect us as a club, but we are used to it and we handle it as much as we can.
Svetislav Verkic, Vojvodina goalkeeper:
Nexe are a great team. A blend of young and experienced players. In the first match we beat them with six goals difference but now I am expecting a completely different match. Now they will have more motive to win. This may also be a decisive match for the best position in the Group A. I expect little things to decide the winner of this match.