Frankfurt face up to Duisburg fixture
Friday, October 17, 2008
Article summary
Holders 1. FFC Frankfurt are relieved to have made the quarter-finals – but would rather not be taking on German rivals FCR 2001 Duisburg, who are just delighted to have made progress on their UEFA Women's Cup bow.
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Sole defeat
While competition debuts Duisburg sailed through their second qualifying round group with comfortable wins in Ukraine against WFC Naftokhimik, Levante UD and knockout regulars Brøndby IF, Frankfurt's squad was depleted by injury in Norway and they lost their opener 1-0 to Zvezda-2005, their first-ever defeat in a UEFA Women's Cup group match. They recovered to beat Røa IL and Glasgow City LFC 3-1, but as Group B1 runners-up behind Zvezda, Frankfurt were placed in a quarter-final with Duisburg, scheduled for the first two weeks of November.
Injury woes
"We are very happy to have reached the quarter-finals despite our incredible bad luck with injuries," said Frankfurt general manager Siegfried Dietrich. "It's not really important who we are up against now. On the other hand, I'm a bit saddened by the fact that the two German teams meet this early in the quarter-finals." Coach Günter Wegmann agreed: "It is of course a shame for German football that we will already clash with Duisburg in the quarter-finals."
Duisburg pride
Duisburg, who will be at home in the second leg to the team that pipped them to the Frauen Bundesliga title last season, are delighted with the outcome of their first European matches, despite ending up in a tie with the competition's only three-time winners. "The girls have plied their trade outstandingly in all three matches and deservedly won the group," said Duisburg chairman Guido Lutz. "I am really proud of the squad. We do not have to be afraid of the holders after those three performances. I have full confidence in my team."
'Remarkable' showing
Coach Martina Voss, whose team are due to welcome Frankfurt in the league on 2 November, added: "If someone had told me beforehand that we would put on such a good showing and end the mini-tournament as winners, I would not have believed it. It is absolutely remarkable how my team did against such high-profile clubs." Her team will hope to avoid the fate of 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, who lost 7-2 on aggregate to Frankfurt in the 2006 final, the only previous all-German tie in the competition.