EHF Champions League

Györ vs Brest among top clashes in round 12

21 January 2021, 12:30

The group phase of the DELO EHF Champions League 2020/21 is approaching crunch time, with an exciting round 12 scheduled for this weekend.

In group A, the winner of the clash between Metz and FTC will move closer to leaders Rostov-Don.

In group B, Buducnost meet Odense in the Match of the Week, while elsewhere leaders Györ will host second-placed Brest, a week after both teams narrowly escaped defeats and came away with a draw.

Also, Valcea take on third-ranked CSKA after the Romanian team won their last two games following six straight defeats earlier.

GROUP A

Metz Handball (FRA) vs FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN)
Sunday 24 January, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

Metz lost to FTC 32:30 in Hungary on Wednesday in a match rescheduled from round 3
both teams are now on 12 points, though Metz have a game in hand
FTC improved their head-to-head comparison to nine wins while Metz won four times; two duels ended in a draw
since January 2017, FTC have been the last team to win an away match against Metz in the Champions League

Team Esbjerg (DEN) vs RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
Sunday 24 January, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

ahead of their crucial clash, Esbjerg are ranked sixth with six points from 10 games, Krim seventh with five points
the reverse fixture in Slovenia was postponed in November and will be rescheduled
the teams also shared a group in the 2016/17 season, when they both won their respective home game
Esbjerg are second in the Danish league after they lost 32:28 against Nykøbing on Wednesday
Krim have announced the return of key players Tjasa Stanko and Dragana Cvijic next season

GROUP B

MOTW: Buducnost (MNE) vs Odense Håndbold (DEN)
Saturday 23 January, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

last week’s 32:32 against Györ was Odense’s first draw in this season, after six wins and four defeats
Odense are ranked fourth with 13 points from 11 matches, Buducnost fifth with eight from 10
in a rescheduled match at Valcea on Wednesday, Buducnost suffered their first defeat (25:23) under head coach Bojana Popovic
Buducnost won both matches when the teams also met in the 2018/19 group phase, but Odense won the reverse fixture 30:21 in Denmark earlier this season

Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN) vs Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA)
Saturday 23 January, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

both teams are eying a top-two finish, as Györ lead with 17 points from 10 matches, followed by Brest with 15 from 11
Györ struggled away at Odense last week but salvaged a 32:32 draw thanks to a late 3:0 run
Györ’s 47-match unbeaten streak since January 2018 includes six draws, three of which were recorded in the current season
one of Györ’s draws came in the away match against Brest in September, 25:25
Brest also rescued a late point against Buducnost (28:28) last week, having trailed 18:11 at half-time
Brest’s Ana Gros is the competition’s leading scorer with 77 goals, Estelle Nze Minko is Györ’s best shooter with 48 goals

BV Borussia Dortmund (GER) vs HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO)
Sunday 24 January, 14:00 CET, live on EHFTV

this is a match between the two bottom-ranked teams in group B, both on two points
Dortmund have lost their last six matches in the competition, Podravka have failed to gain points for seven consecutive matches
Dortmund’s only win this seasony came in the reverse fixture in Koprivnica, 26:25
last week, Dortmund lost at CSKA (38:25) and Podravka at home to Valcea (27:25)
Podravka’s Dejana Miloslavljevic scored six goals last week and is now the third-best scorer in the competition with 56 goals

SCM Ramnicu Valcea (ROU) vs CSKA (RUS)
Sunday 24 January, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

still on zero points until last week, Valcea claimed back-to-back wins against Podravka on Sunday and Buducnost on Wednesday
the victories improved Valcea’s chances to advance to the play-offs, as they now have four points, two more than Dortmund and Podravka
CSKA will play their first away match in 2021, after they beat both Brest and Dortmund on home court
CSKA are third with 15 points from nine matches; second-ranked Brest have 15 from 11 but a better goal difference
Elena Mikhaylichenko, who helped CSKA beat Valcea 30:20 with nine goals in the reverse fixture, is out for the season with a knee injury