Potsdam power past Valur

UEFA Women's Cup holders 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam remain on course to retain their crown after taking a giant stride towards the semi-finals with an emphatic 8-1 win over Valur Reykjavik in Iceland.

Second-half dominance
The home side held their own in the first half, and recovered from conceding an early own goal to equalise on 36 minutes courtesy of Guona Björk Odansdottir. But Potsdam regained the lead through Anja Mittag on the stroke of half-time and from then on they did not look back, scoring six unanswered goals after the restart to all but end the tie ahead of next week's return.

Ominous omen
The match started as badly as it ended for the home side, who found themselves behind after just 16 minutes courtesy of an own goal. But Valur have impressed on their debut season in the competition, and soon found their feet, eventually reaping reward when Odansdottir became only the second player to score against Potsdam in this season's competition. The first team that dared were SV Neulengbach en route to a 12-1 loss.

Three-goal burst
The Germans looked to respond in a similar vein at the Laugardalsvöllur stadium, and regained the lead within nine minutes when Valur goalkeeper Gudbjorg Gunnarsdottir parried the ball into the path of the predatory Mittag, who rarely misses from close range. The German striker made it 3-1 just before the hour mark and the writing was on the wall when Cristiane Sousa Silva and Conny Pohlers added two more within six minutes.

Gunnarsdottir grounded
Valur did recover from that three-goal burst, but it was simply the calm before another storm, as Potsdam completed victory with three goals in four minutes in the closing stages; Karoline Thomas, Silva and Petra Wimbersky all adding their names to a lengthy scoresheet to leave the Icelandic side's coach Elisabet Gunnarsdottir in a state of shock. "I don't know what to say about this game but the difference between the two teams was definitely not seven goals," she said. "We will try to make it more difficult for them in Germany - perhaps even win."