PPD Zagreb beating Vardar and staying in race for third place

PPD Zagreb pobijedio Vardar i nastavlja utrku za broj 3

PPD Zagreb - Vardar 3 14/15

PPD Zagreb have in Osijek managed to beat Vardar with 25:22 (11:12) which gives them a chance to stay in race for position 3 along with Meshkov and Tatran. Zagreb have played an aggressive match surprising Vardar which had +1 after first 30 minutes and Pribak' great 9-meter goal over the block. At the beginning of the first half Vardar have managed to reach +4 but Zagreb did not surrender. Filip Ivić has turned the match boosting the team with confidence. In the end +3 for hosts. Čelica scored 5, Mandalinić and Stepančić 4 each for PPD Zagreb. Dibirov, Shishkarev and Marković have scored 4 each for Vardar. Vardar will on Monday host Vojvodina and PPD Zagreb wil in more than two weeks play Metalurg in Skopje.

Veselin Vujović, PPD Zagreb's coach:

We've showed we have a good team although we've lacked some of our most important players. I have to be honest and say that it was clear that Vardar's coach has also decided to give some of his players like Šterbik a chance to rest. In this situation, we've showed we are on good course.

Stipe Mandalinić, PPD Zagreb's player:

Good match, tough defence. Stepančić and Čelica have decided the match with some great shots. We're now turning towards La Rioja and a match we have to win.

 

Raul Gonzales, Vardar's coach:

Great match for Zagreb. Good first half speaking of our game. Too many mistakes in attack which was costly. We did not manage to create bigger difference in some decisive moments, if we did we probably would have won today. Stepančić was really dangerous today.

Igor Karačić, Vardar's player:

Well deserved win for Zagreb. We've had a few goal advantage but did not use it. Coach has given a shot to many new things, we'll see how that will all work in Champions League against Montpellier.