Metz take revenge against Esbjerg in MOTW
After an exciting clash featuring top of the top teams in group B, Metz Handball claimed a two-goal victory against Team Esbjerg in the first Match of the Week of 2023 in the EHF Champions League Women.
Goalkeepers Amalie Milling and Camille Depuiset shone for their respective sides in a close game, but the Player of the Match of the Week award went to Depuiset. The smiling Metz goalkeeper stopped 13 shots from 37 attempts, at a 35 per cent save efficiency, many of which came at a pivotal point of the game.
Henny Ella Reistad had another good performance for Esbjerg, scoring seven times, and Kristina Jörgensen ended the night with the same number of goals for Metz.
GROUP B
MOTW: Metz Handball (FRA) vs Team Esbjerg (DEN) 26:24 (11:11)
- Metz had the early momentum with Kristina Jörgensen scoring twice to give them a 4:1 lead, but Esbjerg rebounded with Amalie Milling's saves and levelled the match at 4:4 in the eighth minute
- both sides produced strong defensive performances and slowed down the pace of the game, resulting in the 11:11 score at the break
- Camille Depuiset stopped Esbjerg's attempts to lead at half-time with her 39 per cent save efficiency, while Amalie Milling's save percentage was 48 per cent throughout the first half.
- the goalkeepers' performance was almost the same in the second half. Depuiset and Milling finished the match with save percentages of 35 per cent and 41 per cent, respectively
- the pressure was high as the match its conclusion, with both sides having a lead at one point in the second half
- Sarah Bouktit's steal and Kristina Jörgensen's two goals gave Metz an important three-goal lead seven minutes before the end of the match
From MOTW to MOTW
Metz and Esberg both ended 2022 on a winning run. While Metz won their last four EHF Champions League matches, Esbjerg had tasted victory in their last five. The interesting part is that Esbjerg started their winning run against Metz in the Match of the Week in round 5, defeating the French side 35:28.
Metz suffered their last defeat in the competition against Esbjerg – but they have now got their revenge. The French side have extended their positive streak to five games and stopped Esbjerg's five-game winning run. Emmanuel Mayonnade's team now lead the group with 17 points, and they have pushed Esbjerg down to fourth place with 14 points.
Obviously we are always disappointed after a defeat, but we know when we come to Metz that we will sometimes make mistakes that we are not used to. We are happy with the intensity of our game but there is still disappointment.
It was a tough game. We are two teams that want the victory. I am just happy that we managed to win in the end; both teams had their chance in this game. We keep the first place and it is very important for us. I also want to underline the performance of Camille Depuiset, who helped us a lot.
