Away wins for Györ and Odense; FTC make comeback against CSM

• CSM conceded their third loss in a row and are fourth in the group standings, tying their longest-ever losing streak in history, set five times previously in the European premium competition
• centre back Elizabeth Omoregie, the second top scorer of the season, with 59 goals, tied her best-ever performance in the EHF Champions League Women, set against HCM Baia Mare in November 2015, with 10 goals against FTC
• Team Esbjerg secured their fifth win in a row and their sixth this season, despite coming only two goals short of the record for the lowest number of goals scored by both teams in a match of theirs in the competition
• with the seventh loss in eight matches and a single point won so far, Buducnost are the only team without a win in this season of the EHF Champions League Women
• Norwegian back Thale Rushfeldt Deila, who scored seven goals for Odense and was the top scorer of the game, was named the Player of the Match
• this was the largest scoring match in both Brest’s and Odense’s history in the European premium competition, with the previous record seeing 70 goals scored in Brest’s largest-scoring match and 71 being Odense’s previous record
• dealing Brest their third loss in four matches, as well as securing the fourth consecutive win in the competition, Odense finished 2024 third in the standings, tied on points with Esbjerg, 12, only one point behind leaders Györ
• reigning champions Györ finished 2024 in first place in group B, after their sixth win in eight matches, 28:25 against Rapid
• the Romanian side conceded their sixth loss in a row, currently their largest-ever streak in the EHF Champions League Women

GROUP A

FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) vs CSM Bucuresti (ROU) 31:28 (17:18)

Just like in the match against Metz Handball, CSM were left lacking in the closing stages of the match, scoring a single goal in the last nine minutes and 50 seconds. That enabled FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria to jump to their seventh win in eight matches this season, with the gap between the second-placed side and the third, Krim, being six points now, with only six rounds left. In Cristina Neagu’s comeback in the European premium competition after one month, the Romanian back scored eight times, but her output was nowhere near enough, with FTC being more clinical in the final moments of the match. This was CSM’s third loss in a row, as the Romanian side is now reeling and needing something new, after tying their worst-ever losing streak in the EHF Champions League Women.

GROUP B

Team Esbjerg (DEN) vs Buducnost (MNE) 26:19 (10:9)

After missing the first four shots of the match, the top goal scorer of the European premium competition, Henny Reistad, slightly improved her percentage and helped Team Esbjerg bounce back. However, Esbjerg’s 10 goals in the first half was the third-lowest output in their history in the European premium competition, with the Danish side needing a much-improved second half against Buducnost. Indeed, they provided a better outing and secured their fifth win in a row, 26:19, but the attack has been left in need of an improvement, scoring only 53 goals against Buducnost in two matches, after averaging over 30.5 goals in the previous six matches of the season.

MOTW: Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) vs Odense Håndbold (DEN) 36:38 (17:18)

In an entertaining Match of the Week, with 74  goals scored, both Brest and Odense set new records in the European premium competition. One week after Odense delivered Brest a 36:33 loss in Denmark, Ole Gustav Gjekstad’s side doubled down with a nip-and-tuck win in France, where they controlled the second half in style, with an outstanding attacking performance. Back Thale Rushfeldt Deila, line player Maren Aardahl and wing Elma Halilcevic combined for 19 goals, half of Odense’s total, to help their side secure their fourth win in a row and leapfrogging Brest in the standings. Still, it was too little for the French side, which has the best attack in the competition, with 268 goals scored, as Brest are now fourth in the standings with 10 points, two behind Odense and Esbjerg and three behind Györ.

Rapid Bucuresti (ROU) vs Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN) 25:28 (11:15)

Györ secured a double win against Rapid, piling more pressure on the Romanian side, while also finishing 2024 at the top of group B. However, the Hungarian side has been under pressure in the second half, as Rapid came back to only two goals in the last six minutes. On the other hand, Rapid’s chances for progression are getting slimmer. The Romanian team lost six matches in a row for the first time in history in the European premium competition, and while there are only three points separating them from the sixth place, currently held by Ludwigsburg, Rapid have by far the largest number of goals conceded in the competition, 258, or an average of 32.25 goals per match.

Main photo © Sabin Malisevschi