MOTW: Five things to know about Podravka vs Györ

1. Györ hold the upper hand

The Hungarian side and Podravka share a long history in the EHF Champions League. Their first encounter was back in the 2007/08 season and since then Györ clearly hold the upper hand in their encounters. The Hungarian powerhouse won all 10 EHF Champions League matches against Podravka, played between 2007 and 2021, leaving the Croatian side still searching for even their first point against them.

This week's MOTW marks their first duel after more than five years, but Podravka will have a tough challenge if they want to finally turn the tide. The Croatian side came closest to doing so in October 2010, when they travelled to Györ and lost by only two goals, 27:25.

On home court their best result came in 2018 when they kept Györ within six goals in a 33:27 defeat. However, only a month later the Hungarian side responded with their biggest win in the mutual encounters 37:17.

And no team has ever scored more goals against Podravka in an EHF Champions League match than Györ did in September 2020, when they won 43:28.

2. Familiar opponents already

Unlike most teams meeting in the opening round of the EHF Champions League Women 2026/27 season, Podravka and Györ already know what it feels like to play against each other this season.

Podravka travelled to Györ in August for a two-day stay which included a joint training session and a test match. The Croatian side had a promising start in the game, but Györ gradually took control and celebrated a 37:24 win after leading 20:14 at half-time. Nataša Ljepoja led Podravka with five goals, while Tjaša Stanko was Györ's top scorer with eight.

Only a week later, their paths crossed again at the Kermann IT Cup in Debrecen, although they did not meet on court. After spending quite some time together during the summer there will be few surprises when they enter the fray in Koprivnica on Saturday.

3. Key players and transfer window

Podravka will once again rely on some of their key players from recent seasons, with Katarina Pandža ready to play an important role after an injury hampered her last campaign. The Austrian international was Podravka's top scorer before being sidelined and now returns stronger and ready to show her qualities again.

An important addition is also the return of Dejana Milosavljević to Podravka's backcourt after two seasons abroad, as well as experienced goalkeeper Anica Gudelj. However, Podravka still await the return of injured Ana Debelić, the experienced line that won the EHF Champions League with Vipers Kristiansand.

On the other hand, Györ boast quality almost twice on every position. They kept the core of the team that reached the EHF Champions League final last season, including their two top scorers in the competition, Dione Housheer (106) and Bruna de Paula (88). Also, their strong defence and quality between the posts give them plenty of options on the other end of the court, too.

There have only been two new arrivals during the summer, but both add further strength to the already star-studded squad. Thale Rushfeldt Deila joined from Odense Håndbold and Sarah Bouktit from Metz Handball. Bouktit was the MVP of last season's EHF FINAL4, when the French line player netted 12 times from 15 attempts in the final against... Györ.

4. Domestic dominance

Podravka and Györ have another thing in common in their long histories: both clubs have been the dominant forces in their domestic competition for decades.

Podravka have won the Croatian championship 29 times and lifted the Croatian cup on 28 occasions — celebrating the 'double' in each of the last three seasons. Their dominance stretches all the way back to the start of the Croatian championship in 1993, as Podravka won every title except for 2014, 2022 and 2023.

Györ have built a similar legacy in Hungary. Since winning their first league title in 1957, they have been crowned Hungarian champions 19 times, while their 16 Hungarian cup trophies put them level with FTC-Toyota Kovács as the competition's record winners. Györ have won 16 of their 19 league titles since 2005.

5. Clash of two European champions

There are not many clubs in European handball who know what it feels like to lift the biggest trophy, but Podravka and Györ are among them.

The Croatian club came close to winning it in the 1994/95 season, when they lost to Hypo Niederösterreich in the final, but got their revenge a year later when they were finally crowned the EHF Champions League winners. Podravka reached the semi-finals again in 1996/97, but have not managed to repeat the achievement since.

Györ's success in Europe's top flight came much later, but became a much more frequent occurrence as they went on to become the most decorated club in EHF Champions League Women history, with seven titles. They first lifted the trophy in the 2012/13 season, beating Larvik after years of coming close with several semi-final and final appearances.

Once they had finally done it, more titles followed. Györ defended their crown in 2013/14 before winning again in 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19. Their latest back-to-back triumphs came in 2023/24 and 2024/25, while last season they were only one step away from completing another three-peat.

photos © Roland Peka (main, second and fourth in-text); Luka Zavodnik (first and third in-text)