Odense and Ludwigsburg clinch big wins in first leg of play-offs

HB Ludwigsburg delivered a bitter blow to Krim Mercator Ljubljana with an outstanding defensive performance, which saw the German side clinch a 31:21 win. Meanwhile Odense Håndbold beat Storhamar Handball Elite 33:20, and have a return leg at home next week to look forward to.

• Krim conceded their second double-digit loss this season against Ludwigsburg, scoring the joint lowest number of goals in the European premium competition since 19 against Odense in January 2022
• Ludwigsburg’s Karolina Kudlacz-Gloc gave birth three months ago, and she returned for the first time this season in the European premium competition, with the 40-year-old back scoring two goals
• Odense are close to their third consecutive quarter-finals spot, after a dominating 33:20 win against Storhamar
• this was the largest win in an EHF Champions League Women quarter-final match since Györi Audi ETO KC beat Brest by a 12-goal margin, 35:23, in 2021/22
• Odense’s Thale Rushfeldt Deila scored nine goals and was the match’s top scorer

PLAY-OFFS, FIRST LEG

HB Ludwigsburg (GER) vs Krim Mercator Ljubljana (SLO) 31:21 (14:10)

Ludwigsburg had only one win against Krim throughout their mutual meetings in the European premium competition, but the German champions made a big step towards the quarter-finals with a commanding victory over the Slovenian side. The pivotal moment was the start of the second half, when Krim needed eight minutes and seven seconds to score as Ludwigsburg went on a 7:0 unanswered run. Krim entered the game on a three-match unbeaten streak, but looked uninspired and with a meagre 33 per cent attacking efficiency, they have a huge task ahead of them to return to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2021/22.

Storhamar Handball Elite (NOR) vs Odense Håndbold (DEN) 20:33 (13:20)

With only 12 players on the sheet, Storhamar lacked the depth to mount a challenge against Odense, holding the lead for only eight minutes. When Ole Gustav Gjekstad’s side pushed the pedal, there was no stopping Odense. The Danish side scored 20 goals in the first half, eight of which came from Norwegian left back Thale Rushfeldt Deila. Fellow Norwegian Katrine Lunde also made an impact in her first Champions League outing for Odense since signing with the club; she stopped 14 saves from 33 shots (42.4 per cent efficiency), frustrating Storhamar. If Odense can wrap things up next week at home they will secure their third consecutive quarter-finals berth, although they have never progressed further into the competition.

Photos © Marco Wolf, Fredrik Olastuen