Everything to play for in crunch battles in round 12
The EHF Champions League Women 2024/25 heads into a new thrilling round with key battles shaping the standings ahead of the final clashes.
FTC Rail-Cargo Hungaria and Metz Handball have already secured quarter-final tickets, but Krim Mercator Ljubljana, CS Gloria 2018 BN, Storhamar Handball Elite and Nykøbing Falster Håndboldklub are still fighting for a place in the play-offs. Meanwhile, CSM Bucuresti and Podravka Vegeta go head-to-head in a tight race in the Match of the Week for third place in the group.
In group B, the battle for the quarter-final spots is tight, as Team Esbjerg and Odense Håndbold are aiming to win and improve their chances, with leaders Györ are already close to clinching their place.
It will be a tough away game. They are a team that performs well at home. FTC have performed solidly in this year's Champions League and have great opportunities to reach the EHF FINAL4. We had a good performance the last time we met them at home, but we are still a long way off. They have many players with great qualities, so we must be able to stand up in the duel, both in defence and attack.
After a few weeks, we can see some positive changes in the team. We’ve had some tough games, but we’re noticing improvements. Not only in the games, but also in the training sessions. We still don't have any points, but the team's face is different.
We are very aware of the importance and difficulty of the match in Ljubljana. Krim are a strong team with very good players and experience in the Champions League. Also, Krim have their peculiarities and we must take them into account. Like any team, they have strengths and weaknesses. We will have to be focused and motivated to erase their strengths and profit from their weaknesses.
The match against Ludwigsburg will be very important for us. We are going there with ambition and we want the two points, as they would be crucial for qualifying for the next phase of the Champions League. The most important thing is to be solid in defence, find easy goals on the fast break and avoid losing the ball in attack.
It is an exciting match coming up. With the Metz match a few days later, these are two big matches, two matches we want to play. These are the best games of the season. They are both very similar, even if the stakes are not the same. We are going to concentrate on the Esbjerg game first, so that we can play the best possible match there, with Reistad one of the biggest assets in Sunday's match, and one that we are going to have to get to grips with.
