by ZFK Breznica will meet Birkirkara tomorrow at the Centenary Stadium in a battle for a place in Saturday’s final against FC Zurich in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. In preparation, it is worth looking at the Montenegrin team’s rise in the competition, key players and recent form.
Breznica’s Beginnings and Rise
The team is relatively young having been founded in 2013. Based in Pljevlja, the team takes its name after the Breznica river. Their introduction into the Montenegrin Women’s League was a strong one, finishing runner’s up in their first two seasons. It was three-times lucky for the team, as they lifted their maiden title in the 2015/16 season, beating title rivals ZFK Ekonomist who were seeking their fifth consecutive title.
Breznica have dominated the league since then, taking all seven titles since the 2015/16 season, which brought with it successive appearances in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. In their maiden appearance in the European competition, the team suffered heavy defeats against giants Olimpia Cluj and Medyk Konin. However, they also earned their first point in the competition following a 2-2 draw against Estonian side, Parnu, thanks to Marijana Jankov’s brace.
The team hosted the competition for the first time the following year. They collected another point after earning another 2-2 draw, this time against Israeli side Kiryat Gat. Jankov was on the scoresheet from the penalty spot, while Tamara Bojat equalized the sides just after half an hour of play. They were dealt a narrow 2-1 defeat by Norwegian team Avaldsnes Idrettslag, while Spartak Subotica were dominant in a 6-0 victory.
2018/19 saw the side return as hosts and repeat fixtures against Kiryat Gat and Spartak Subotica. The third team in the group were the Swiss team of Basel. Breznica suffered 4-0 defeats at the hands of Basel and Spartak Subotica. However, they earned another draw against Kiryat Gat, in what treated spectators to a spectacle of goals finishing at 4-4. Breznica’s goals came thanks to Eli Jakovska, Jelena Vujadinovic and Marijana Jankov who netted a brace to keep her goalscoring record going for the third consecutive year.
First Victory
The club made a hat-trick of hosting in 2019/20, but this time the team bagged its first victory in the competition, which came against Olimpia Cluj whom they beat by 3-2. Vujadinovic was on the scoresheet once more, while a brace from Ana Milovic nudged the team to victory. Despite a narrow 1-0 loss against eventual group winners Mitrovica, the team also drew 4-4 against NSA Sofia to register their best points tally of four points and a second-place finish. A goal by Vujadinovic and a brace Milovic saw the two retain their form in front of goal, while Jelena Karlicic completed the scoring.
Following a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Pomurje in 2020, the team returned to the competition the following year (in 2021/22), which saw the competition change to its current format. Their opening semi-final tie against Croatian hosts Osijek saw the Montenegrin champions lose by 5-0. However, they secured a third-place finish by winning 3-2 against Armenians Hayasa.
The club hosted the competition again last year in a draw that like this year featured a group composed of only three teams. The side lost their opening semi-final against Spartak Myjava 3-2, despite initially leading by 2-0 thanks to goals by captain Nada Durdevak and Vujadinovic.
Last Season’s Win, Recruitments and Key Players
The club managed another league title lift last year, following an undefeated season which saw the team win all its games (20) except for a single draw, confirming their presence in the European competition once more.
Milica Sebek was one of the standout performers last season, netting thirty goals to top the scorers list in the league and lift her fifth title with Breznica. She will be in contention alongside Jeca Petrovic who also brings experience from the European competition. Tamara Tosic and Aleksandra Vujosevic also featured against Spartak Myjava and could feature against Birkirkara.
The team has also bolstered its ranks by signing four players over the summer. Anja Simonovic joined from Kamenica Sasa, following a six-month spell prior to which she captained Breznica’s rivals Buducnost Podgorica. Seventeen-year-old creative midfielder Katarina Čađenović also joined from rivals Buducnost Podgorica. Meanwhile, U-19 Montenegrin player Mia Baturan also joined the team alongside compatriot Sanja Nedić who was previously playing for SFK 2000 Sarajevo.
Recent Results
The team embarked on a number of friendlies in preparation for the upcoming tie. A match against Radnički Kragujevac ended in a 2-0 defeat. The team earned a 2-2 draw against SFK Libero, before falling at the hands of Sarajevo by 4-0.
Breznica opened their league commitments last Wednesday 30th of August against rivals Buducnost Podgorica, which ended in a 7-2 victory for Breznica. Jelena Petrovic bagged a hattrick, while Milica Sebek kicked off her season with a brace. Tatjana Osmajic was also on the scoresheet while Katarina Čađenović wrapped up her debut with a goal as well.
They now set their sights on the tie against Birkirkara with the intention of progressing to Saturday’s final against Zurich. The match will be played at the Centenary Stadium on Wednesday 6th September with kick-off at 6 pm. Tickets may be purchased online, at Intersport or at the door.
Lead Image: ZFK Breznica
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[…] two teams have appeared in the competition for consecutive years, with Breznica coming in as the seeded team and thus the favourite based on ranking. However, Birkirkara come into […]
[…] the return of Montenegrin player Jelena Vujadinovic, who the club will hope can return to her goalscoring form in the competition. Compatriot Marija Maras is also among the signings, together with Enida Bosnjak, Nela Kolic, […]