Burgaard thrilled about her first Champions League campaign

In spite of only having turned 22 years of age this autumn, Louise Burgaard is already an established and experienced player in the Danish national team. When it comes to the Women's EHF Champions League, though, everything is new to the 178 cm tall right back.

This season is only her second with Viborg HK, and in her first year with the club, the team did not make it any further than the qualification tournament.

Therefore, she is experiencing the first Champions League campaign of her career this season.

“My expectations were so high in advance that I supposed I could not help being disappointed, but that has not been the case. On the contrary.

“It is just so cool to stand there and listen to the Champions League hymn, playing at the blue floor and being part of all the action. The Champions League is really tough and intense. The games are more physical than we are used to in the Danish league, and it is just so cool to be part of all that,” Louise Burgaard tells ehfCL.com.

Good at standing together

Nine goals has she scored in the first two Champions League matches of her life.

Both matches have ended in clear Viborg wins. 38:25 at home against IK Sävehof and 25:18 away against HC Lokomotiva Zagreb.

Those impressive results come as a bit of a surprise, considering Viborg's limited squad this season.

For the match in Zagreb on Sunday, for instance, the Danish champions only had nine senior players on their team sheet. The rest were youngsters. Talented but inexperienced at this level.

“That is correct, but the key players we do have, are very good players, and furthermore we have been good at standing together so far. We proved that in Zagreb in particular, I think.

“I also think that it plays a considerable part in our success that we have been good at not focusing on how few we really are. If we begin to think about that already now, we may get in trouble, if not now, then after Christmas,” foresees Louise Burgaard.

Sunday afternoon she will be a key player for her team once again, when Viborg face Györi Audi ETO KC in the top game so far in Group C.

“It will be extremely cool to meet the reigning champions already in my third Champions League match. It will be mega tough, no doubt, but also a great opportunity to be measured against the best, and I actually think our chances are good,” she says.