Göransson guarded as Potsdam visit Rossiyanka

Antonia Göransson, the outstanding performer in 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam's 2-0 UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final first-leg win against FC Rossiyanka, says the German side will take nothing for granted in Thursday's return in Russia.

The Sweden winger was a constant menace to the Rossiyanka defence and was unlucky not to cap a superb display with a goal when her 25th-minute shot cannoned off the crossbar. However, two first-half efforts – an opportunist strike from Patricia Hanebeck and a Babett Peter penalty – were enough for victory. Bernd Schröder's side remain on course for a third successive final, having lifted the trophy in 2005 and 2010.

"Of course we feel confident because we won the first game, but it's harder to go to Russia than to play at home," Göransson, who signed from Hamburger SV last summer after helping Sweden to third place in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, told UEFA.com. "They have very good individual players so we will have to be very focused to win that game."

Göransson was perhaps referring to her international team-mate, Sofia Jakobsson, whose rampaging runs in last week's first leg provided the Russian champions with their main attacking threat. Only a terrific second-half block from Potsdam goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher prevented the striker from grabbing a precious away goal.

Rossiyanka, seven points clear at the top of the Russian Premier League, have yet to resume their domestic season after an elongated winter break. Indeed, Thursday's encounter with Potsdam has been moved from its original venue − in Krasnoarmeysk, near Moscow − to the artificial surface at the Trud Stadion in Podolsk due to inclement weather in the capital.

While coach Farid Benstiti has taken his squad to several warm-weather training camps across Europe to maintain fitness levels, Jakobsson is aware that a lack of match sharpness could prove their undoing over the two legs.

"It's definitely a little bit harder for us when we haven't resumed our domestic season yet," said the 21-year-old. "We've tried to play friendly games but it's not the same as competitive matches and since Potsdam are back playing in their league maybe they have a little more tempo than us."

One downside to Potsdam's first-leg victory was an injury to central defender Tabea Kemme. The 20-year-old landed heavily on her right shoulder in one of many aerial tussles with the combative Jakobsson and will be out for two months.

Despite that setback, Göransson thinks her side can reach the last four "if we concentrate on our own performance". In the semi-finals they would face holders Olympique Lyonnais, Potsdam's opponents in the last two showpieces.

Yet Jakobsson, whose main motivation for joining Rossiyanka last season from Swedish club Umeå IK was the opportunity to play in this competition, is not ready to relinquish her dream of a tilt at the title in Munich in May. "We will give it our best shot – anything is possible in the Champions League," she said.