Women's Champions League: Historic Fradi Victory, Final Four Next

Fradi achieved this feat in style, by defeating Orizzonte Catania, which still holds the record with 8 Champions League wins to date. True, the Italian team is not quite what it used to be in its heyday, but it is still the best in Italy, bolstered by some quality foreign players.

Based on the two-goal victory in Catania, Fradi was clearly favored in the quarterfinals, but the girls had to be very disciplined to ensure no complications in the return leg.

Initially, the hosts struggled with penalties but eventually took the lead through a counter-attack goal by Tamara Farkas – while the defense was solid at the back. However, the Italians scored twice in the final minute, first from a dying penalty and then from a counterattack launched after Fradi missed its third advantage, making the score 1-2 after eight minutes.

In the second quarter, Fradi had to defend two man-down situations, but thanks to the fantastic stretching of Boglárka Neszmély, Orizzonte did not reach tie score – then mid-quarter, unusually within 21 seconds, Fradi scored twice. First, Vanda Vályi fired a robust shot, then after a counter-foul, the greens broke away, and Szonja Kuna beat the goalkeeper. However, Orizzonte again saved two goals for the finale, but good that between them Eleftheria Plevritou also drilled a tremendous shot, making it 4-4 at halftime.

Dóra Leimeter quickly led Fradi with a goal from a zero-degree angle, followed by another defended disadvantage, and with another great goal by Vályi, FTC went ahead by two. Not for long, as Lee Hardy quickly responded from the next advantage, and the score did not change in the remaining four minutes. We did not lament the two missed penalties, as the quarter-ending Italian surge did not materialize; they failed to score not just two, but even one goal, and the green-white team went into the final part leading 6-5.

After another brilliant save by Neszmély, Gréta Gurisatti finally nailed a penalty, followed by another man-down situation defended, and Plevritou achieved roughly a touch-down, as she carried the ball almost to the post and pushed it through the goalkeeper's hands, making it 8-5. From here on, it was unlikely that the greens, leading by five in aggregate, would face any troubles, yet they did not loosen their defensive rigidity at all. So much so that they defended against six consecutive disadvantages altogether; for 12 minutes they did not concede a goal, only then when it no longer mattered, from the seventh disadvantage, with 17 seconds before the buzzer.

This no longer concerned many among the celebrating fans – as they chanted: on to the Final Four.

Thus, Fradi also achieved what had previously been done among Hungarian teams by Szentes, BVSC, UVSE, and Dunaújváros. The last time was two years ago when the team from Dunaújváros participated in the final four and finished fourth; the Ferencváros team, by their own admission, aspires to more.

It won't be easy, as the last year's medalists – Sabadell, Olympiacos, St. Andreu – again secured participation. It is known that Fradi will match up against St. Andreu for the final; the Spanish team has already defeated the highly favored Sabadell in the Spanish cup final, so it's a class team. It won't be easy, but on May 2-3, that certain history can be further written.

Women's Champions League – Quarterfinals

FTC-Telekom–Orizzonte Catania (Italy) 8-6 – in aggregate: 19-15

CN Mataro (Spanish)–St. Andreu (Spanish) 8-11 – in aggregate: 16-24

Alimos Betsson (Greek)–Astralpool Sabadell (Spanish) 15-13 – in aggregate: 21-32

Vouliagmeni (Greek)–Olympiacos Piraeus (Greek) 6-7 – in aggregate: 16-18

Semi-final pairings:

FTC–St. Andreu

Sabadell–Olympiacos