Motive.co Gijón already awaits a rival in the round of 16 of the EHF European Cup after winning again, 34-22, against Austrian Atzgersdorf in the second leg, which they already reached with a 15-goal advantage. Yesterday the people from Gijón came out too relaxed and the Viennese took the lead, 4-7, at which point Cristina Cabeza called a time-out, angry with her team’s attitude. The result was that in the following minutes Motive.co made a 7-1 run and put things in their place.
The match was propitious to give minutes to the less usual players and the ones who made the most of it were Sandra Vallina and Lucía Laguna who became the top scorers of the match while the theoretical starting wingers, Paula Valdivia and María González, watched the game placidly from the dock. Débora Torreira changed various positions, from center back to pivot, while Marizza Faría also had minutes to get in tune and forget her role as Paraguay’s coach to become a Motive.co player. Goalkeeper Diana Fernández also made her debut, making several saves and Lucía Fernández, who scored a penalty goal.
The match had little history because the difference between the two teams is abysmal. The next round won’t be as easy as the first two. The people of Gijón will know what it is next week.
But first, they will have to face three league games at Granollers and Málaga and Elche at La Arena, which will clarify Motive.co’s aspirations in the domestic competition.
