The resounding loss to Ludwigsburg last week set the Buducnosti handball players back to square one and clearly displayed that the young team from Podgorica struggles to compete with their Champions League rivals unless they exceed their own boundaries.

When the team led by Bojana Popović exerts itself, and one of the goalkeepers makes stunning saves, they can indeed hold their own against the reigning European champions, Djer—as demonstrated in the 3rd round at “Morača.” However, it was evident in the previous round that replicating such a performance consistently is challenging, especially when Buducnosti was outclassed by the German squad in the same venue.

Today presents a new challenge with their third overall visit—to face Vipers in Norway (at 18:00), a club currently grappling with significant financial difficulties. Reports indicate that the club is at risk of shutting down (and this isn’t the first instance), so it would come as no shock if Buducnosti finds itself playing its final Champions League match of the season.

In fact, if Vipers were to go bankrupt, they would be automatically eliminated from the Champions League.

“There’s no need to discuss the strengths of our opponents. Vipers has had a lackluster performance in their last two matches, and they are likely eager to turn things around in their upcoming game against us,” remarked Maja Savić, the assistant to Bojana Popović, before the clash with the three-time European champions.

The future still awaits its first victory.

“After facing Đer, we felt some perhaps unrealistic expectations, which weighed us down before the match against Ludwigsburg. Now we’ve returned to reality. Vipers, like all Scandinavian teams, play at a fast pace, but we are prepared for it,” noted Nađa Kadović, left wing for the “blues.”

The young player Nina Ramusović also anticipates an improved performance compared to the last game.

“We’ve learned from our mistakes and worked on them in practice. Vipers may not be as strong as last season, but they still pose a significant challenge,” Ramusović stated.

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