Former Bjerringbro-Silkeborg hero Niklas Landin returns to Silkeborg, when the Danish Champions face THW Kiel in the VELUX EHF Champions League.
Even though Nikolaj Markussen and Niklas Landin have never played for the same club, the Danish left back of Bjerringbro-Silkeborg knows his fellow countryman of THW Kiel very well. Both of them are from the year 1988 and they have played many games together for the national team. Both Markussen and Landin won the EHF Euro in 2012 with the Danish national team, and Markussen the shooter of Bjerringbro-Silkeborg against Landin the goalkeeper of THW Kiel is a duel to look out for, when Bjerringbro-Silkeborg on Sunday welcome THW Kiel in Silkeborg.
– Niklas is a very skilled goalkeeper, who always is well prepared and knows the opponents very well. He is a terrible goalkeeper to shoot against, but I am ready to take on the challenge, and it is always a pleasure to shoot against one of the best goalkeepers in the world, told Nikolaj Markussen.
Niklas Landin played for Bjerringbro-Silkeborg from 2010 to 2011, and Sunday afternoon he is back in Silkeborg for the first time. Markussen in squad of Bjerringbro-Silkeborg since 2015 will try to make it an unjoyful return.
How do you score goals against Niklas Landin?
– You shoot fast and precisely, and then you hope Niklas picks the wrong side.
Winning the VELUX EHF Champions League three times since 2007, THW Kiel are for sure on of the giants in international handball. Many high profiled players including the two Danish Olympic champions Niklas Landin and René Toft Hansen are traveling to Denmark with the team of THW Kiel, and Markussen are aware of the huge challenge waiting on Sunday.
– It is one of the best clubs throughout history. Kiel is always at the top and playing the VELUX EHF Final4 almost every year. It is the best players in the world, who come to Silkeborg, and we can be proud to face Kiel in an official game, but we know that we must be ready for 60 minutes on our top level. Kiel wants to win in Silkeborg and we must deliver our best not to get humiliated, said Markussen.
– For us to have a chance of winning, we need a really good day, where everything works out for us, and where Kiel maybe thinks too much about their next Bundesliga challenge. They have a stronger team than ours and they have more substitution opportunities than we have but of cause, we will give anything and hunt the surprising win.
With five goals in each of Bjerringbro-Silkeborg’s first two games in the VELUX EHF Champions League, Nikolaj Markussen is in great shape. He thinks that he has benefited from the training throughout the summer.
– I think that I have worked well on my physics during the summer. I have gained eight kilos since the Finals of the Danish Championship in May. I feel that I physically have more energy, and that is the best explanation, told Markussen, who plays his first season in the VELUX EHF Champions League with a Danish club, but reached the final with Atletico Madrid back in 2012.
– It is always a pleasure to play against the best players. In opposition to when I played for Atletico Madrid, where we were the favourites in almost every game, we are in Bjerringbro-Silkeborg on hunt for surprising wins. That is a different approach but it is very motivating too.
The game between Bjerringbro-Silkeborg and THW Kiel throws off at 16.50 on Sunday afternoon. The game is live on DR1 Denmark, SKY Deutschland and EHFTV.com.
Source: Bjerringbro-Silkeborg Media team
