Valur aim to upset holders

Domestic disappointment
Having been favourites to retain the title, not least after starting the campaign by storming to victory in the Icelandic League Cup, Valur never fully recovered from losing their opening Urvalsdeild game to Breidablik in May and then falling to another defeat by the same opposition at home. Those were the only league matches Valur did not win, yet they finished four points behind their rivals, who then beat them 4-0 in the Icelandic Cup semi-finals before going on to equal Valur's record of nine cup triumphs.

Impressive campaign
However, the Women's Cup has allowed Valur to redeem their season, and on their tournament debut they stormed through the first qualifying round, overcoming the Norwegian and Finnish representatives to show their class. Then, in the next stage, the team defeated by Potsdam in the 2004/05 final, Djurgården/Alvsjö, needed a last-gasp goal to win 2-1 against Valur, who then ousted ZFK Mašinac-Classic Niš 3-0 and Alma KTZH 8-0 to progress as runners-up in Group B2 and become Iceland's first quarter-finalists in the competition.

New goalkeeper
Margret Lara Vidarsdóttir scored ten goals in qualifying, but will need to be on form as coach Elisabet Gunnarsdóttir is without midfielder Dóra María, studying in the United States, and absent goalkeeper Gudbjorg Gunnarsdóttir, expected to be replaced by recent signing from Stjarnan, Sandra Sigurdardóttir.

Defensive tactics
Gunnarsdóttir, who has been watching videos of Potsdam matches, said: "There is always a possibility but clearly we must have a very good game if we are to beat this strong German team. We must defend well and then take every opportunity to score."

Attacking but disciplined
She added of the visitors, who stage the second leg on Sunday week: "They are a very good side with good players in every position. They are very attacking with a 3-4-3 formation but still very disiplined like any German team."

Team to beat
Potsdam topped their second qualifying round group, but were held 0-0 in their final fixture by Montpellier HSC. Still, their opening 12-1 win against Austria's SV Neulengbach, with Petra Wimbersky scoring four, was confirmation that despite conceding the German title last term to 1. FFC Frankfurt, Potsdam remain the team to beat in Europe.

Pohlers fit
They are also at full strength, Conny Pohlers, last season's competition leading scorer, and versatile midfielder Jennifer Zietz both having recovered from injury. Pohlers even played in Wednesday's German Cup second-round tie against SG Essen-Schönebeck, as Potsdam required an 8-7 penalty shoot-out success to advance after being held 2-2 over 120 minutes.