More play-off tickets up for grabs in round 13

Decision time is approaching fast in the DELO EHF Champions League 2020/21 as the group phase is going into its penultimate round 13 this weekend.

The Match of the Week in group A features a pivotal game for both CSM Bucuresti and Team Esbjerg. Adrian Vasile’s side gathered just one point from their last four matches and are on a three-game losing streak, tying their worst-ever run in the competition.

In other games, Rostov-Don are looking to tighten their grip on the lead in the group, while Vipers Kristiansand are eyeing to extend their club record unbeaten streak of currently seven games when they meet FTC twice in a double-header.

In group B, CSKA are already through to the quarter-final. Györ can follow them with at least a draw against last-placed Podravka, which would also mark the title holders’ 50th straight unbeaten match in the competition.

The battle for one play-off spot heats up between the three lowest ranked teams in this group: Dortmund, Valcea and Podravka.

GROUP A

RK Krim Mercator (SLO) vs Rostov-Don (RUS)
Saturday, 6 February, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• Krim would be out of the race for the play-offs if they fail to win and Esbjerg beat CSM
• Krim have not won for seven straight games, including two draws and five defeats
• Rostov won four of the previous five games against Krim, but only recorded a draw (23:23) in the reverse fixture in Russia earlier this season
• Rostov lead second-placed Metz by one point and have two games in hand

FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) vs Vipers Kristiansand (NOR)
Saturday, 6 February, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) vs FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) (in Hungary)
Monday, 8 February, 17:30 CET, live on EHFTV

• FTC and Vipers play a double-header as their postponed match from round 2 has been rescheduled for Monday - also in Budapest
• the winners of Saturday's game are through to the play-offs, the losers will also make it if Krim lose against Rostov
• both teams are on 12 points, but Vipers have played four games less
• Vipers ended Metz’ four-year-long unbeaten home status in a rescheduled midweek match, beating the French side 29:28
• one of two teams that have not lost this season, Vipers are on their longest unbeaten streak in the competition: seven games
• Vipers won three of the four previous meetings with FTC, with their only loss coming in an away game two seasons ago
• FTC lost in the Hungarian league to main rivals Györ this week, 33:27

MOTW: CSM Bucuresti (ROU) vs Team Esbjerg (DEN)
Saturday, 6 February, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• CSM tied their worst patch ever in the competition by losing the last three games, which saw them dropping to fifth place
• Team Esbjerg broke an eight-game winless streak to take two wins in the last two games, against FTC and Krim
• a win for Esbjerg combined with a draw or a loss for Krim would see the Danish side progress to the next phase of the competition
• CSM will miss line player Dragana Cvijic and back Alexandrina Barbosa, who are injured
• CSM boast a commanding head-to-head record, winning four of the previous five games against Esbjerg, including a last-second 30:29 win in the reverse fixture October

SG BBM Bietigheim (GER) vs Metz Handball (FRA)
Sunday, 7 February, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• with three points from 10 matches, Bietigheim are left with only a slim chance to make the play-offs
• Metz have lost three of their five away games this season
• Bietigheim have won two of their 12 games played at home in the last three seasons, and earned only one draw in six games this season
• Metz have won all three previous games against Bietigheim, with an average difference of 6.3 goals per game
• Metz goalkeeper Dinah Eckerle played for Bietigheim in the last two seasons, but will face her former teammates on Sunday

GROUP B

Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) vs BV Borussia 09 Dortmund (GER)
Saturday 6 February, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• in the reverse fixture in Dortmund, Brest claimed their biggest win this season, 41:29
• Brest are third-placed with 16 points; Dortmund are seventh with four points
• Brest have had three tight matches in 2021 so far: a 25:24 defeat against CSKA and draws with Buducnost (28:28) and Györ (27:27)
• Ana Gros netted five times in each of these matches and tops the competition’s scoring list with 82 goals
• in round 12, debutants Dortmund ended their six-match losing run and earned their first ever points at home, beating Podravka 32:31

HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO) vs Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN)
Saturday 6 February, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• Györ need just one point to secure a top two finish in the group and a quarter-final spot
• Györ can extend their three-year-long unbeaten run in the competition to 50 matches
• Györ defeated Buducnost 26:21 in a rescheduled match last week after getting two draws from their previous two matches
• Podravka are coming off two losses in a double-header against CSKA in Moscow, 30:26 and 36:20
• Podravka have lost their last 10 matches but could still overtake Valcea and Dortmund and advance to the play-offs

CSKA (RUS) vs Buducnost (MNE)
Sunday 7 February, 14:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• following two wins against Podravka, CSKA went top of the group and became the first team to qualify for the quarter-final
• CSKA enjoy a perfect record in 2021, winning all five matches so far
• Buducnost sit in fifth position with 10 points and a victory in Moscow would secure them a play-off spot
• CSKA won the reverse fixture in Podgorica 25:22

Odense Håndbold (DEN) vs SCM Ramnicu Valcea (ROU)
Sunday 7 February, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• fourth-placed Odense are guaranteed of the play-offs but cannot reach the top two anymore
• Lois Abbingh scored a total of 21 goals in Odense’s two recent matches against Buducnost, yet the Danish side earned only one point from these duels
• Valcea improved their chances to progress to the next stage after two wins in January, against Podravka and Buducnost
• in the reverse fixture, Odense claimed a confident win in Romania, 30:21