The Montenegrin women’s handball team is set to continue their European Championship qualifying matches against Serbia.

Today, the “Lavice” team gathered in Podgorica and will face Serbia for the first match on Thursday (18) in Zrenjanin, followed by the second match on Sunday (18) at the “Bemax Arena”.

This crucial double match will determine the group winner for the European Championship, scheduled to take place in Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland in November. As of now, Bojana Popović’s squad leads the qualification group with four points, closely followed by Serbia with three points. The group also includes Bulgaria and Turkey.

Bojana Popović expressed her anticipation for the matches: “This double match will be incredibly exciting and challenging. It’s not going to be easy, especially with a packed audience in Zrenjanin. Although Serbia’s results in the World Cup may not have showcased their potential, they performed excellently against top teams like Germany and Denmark, remaining tied until the 55th minute. We’ve thoroughly analyzed those games,” said the coach.

Coach Popović highlighted two key Serbian players.

“The players I want to emphasize are Janjušević from Rapid and Jovović from Debrecen. Both have shown significant improvement, and they will pose the biggest threats. We have two training sessions to prepare and we’ll head to Serbia on Wednesday. Time is limited, and we need to quickly focus on what worked well at the World Cup both offensively and defensively. We must refine our strategies during these training sessions. It promises to be a tough week, and even though everyone is feeling the strain, I truly hope they’ll find their motivation,” she added.

Following the matches against Serbia, the Lionesses will take on Turkey (3) and Bulgaria (4) in April, marking the final preparations before the qualification tournament for the Olympic Games, taking place in Ulm from April 7 to 4. Montenegro’s group includes Paraguay, Slovenia, and Germany.

“Leading up to Ulm, our matches against Bulgaria and Turkey will provide insights into what to expect. Germany and Slovenia are also competing in qualifiers, and we will keep an eye on them. These games will be invaluable for our future analysis. The teams may experience some changes, but our main focus remains on the players’ current forms and confidence levels. Our priority is to keep the majority fit,” said the coach.

Montenegro will not have a complete squad against Serbia.

“Nina Bulatović was included in the roster but will miss the first game due to examinations. Her participation in the second game is uncertain as she has been dealing with a hematoma for two weeks. We’re awaiting MRI results on Wednesday to determine if there is a tear. Ana Popovic will also be absent because of a broken nose sustained in her last Champions League match. She’ll be sidelined for three to four weeks, but I hope she recovers in time for what lies ahead. We’ll monitor the rest of the team closely,” the coach noted.

There’s no room for complacency—the “lionesses” are aiming for two victories.

“We must play each match to the fullest. Serbia is a formidable team, and there can be no holding back; everyone must contribute to secure victories both there and here. We desire that outcome. The rosters have shifted considerably for both teams. A slight generational change is occurring, and both squads are looking to develop their chemistry during each training session. We are in a similar situation—small details will make the difference,” Bojana Popović concluded.

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