The top scorer of Spanish champions Itxako Reyno de Navarra, Alexandrina Cabral Barbosa talks about the upcoming match against Krim Mercator. The Portuguese international’s intention is clear: she expects to open the Main Round of the EHF Champions League with a victory.
ehfCL.com: You have been in Estella for more than a year now, and you have become the your team’s best scorer in the EHF Champions League. How do you rate your team in this season?
Alexandrina Barbosa: I arrived in October 2009, so I have had enough time to adapt. I feel good here in Spain, we have great team with many fantastic players and I expect a continued good season.
ehfCL.com: Every year Itxako seems to make progress. What can be the goal of this season?
Alexandrina Barbosa: This is our second season in the EHF Champions League, and we only have a very simple goal – always to win the next game. We need to go step by step, and by that to learn and to improve.
ehfCL.com: You reached the Main Round after winning Group B where you defeated top-rated Hypo twice. Did that feel like more than just a victory?
Alexandrina Barbosa: Every match is different. Hypo is great club and will always be. They played quite well and we had big problems defeating them.
ehfCL.com: Your first opponent in the Main Round will be Krim Mercator who have had lots of changes to their squad. Do you expect to start the Main Round with a victory?
Alexandrina Barbosa: Krim has an excellent team this season. They are very strong but if we manage to play our strong game like we could, then we can defeat them in Ljubljana. Then it doesn’t matter where we play – at home or away.
Itxako Reyno de Navarra’s Main Round opener against the Slovenian champions from Ljubljana will be broadcast as a free-of-charge live web stream on ehfTV.com.
EHF Women’s Champions League 2010/11, Main Round, Round 1
Friday 04 February 2011, 20:15 hrs (local time)
RK Krim Mercator (SLO) vs. Itxako Reyno De Navarra (ESP)
ehfTV.com is the official Internet TV platform of the European Handball Federation and offers free live streaming as well as a video on demand service.