Esberg deal big loss to Brest; CSM edge close win in the MOTW

• with their 31:30 win against Podravka in the Match of the Week, CSM are now third in the standings, with a three-point lead and the tiebreaker held against the Croatian side, with a big chance of finishing on that spot
• two of CSM’s players, Elizabeth Omoregie and Cristina Neagu, are in the top four scorers of the season, with Omoregie placed second, with 81 goals, and Neagu fourth with 68 goals
• Esbjerg limited the best attack in the competition to only 27 goals to clinch a mammoth 36:27 win over Brest and extend their unbeaten run this season to eight matches, as they edged closer to a quarter-final berth
• with her fifth goal scored after 19 minutes and 51 seconds into the match against Brest, Henny Reistad became the first player this season to hit the 100-goal mark in the EHF Champions League Women 2024/25
• Ludwigsburg’s goalkeeper Johanna Bundsen saved 14 shots for a 37 per cent saving efficiency, while also adding four goals, improving her overall tally this season to 10 goals
• Rapid have now lost 10 matches in a row, becoming the latest team with a double-digit losing streak, with the record held by Turkish side Kastamonu, who lost 18 matches in a row between 2021 and 2022

GROUP A

MOTW: CSM Bucuresti (ROU) vs HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO) 31:30 (16:16)

The surprise package of this season, Podravka, have secured their safe passage to the play-offs, but their path towards third place has been blocked by this loss against CSM. After conceding a 29:28 loss in the first leg, Podravka led by as many as three goals in the first half, but the lack of depth and experience was their undoing in this match. A whopping 14 turnovers cancelled their excellent 66 per cent shot efficiency, as they made too many mistakes, while CSM had a vintage performance from Cristina Neagu, the all-time top scorer of the competition, who scored eight goals and received the Player of the Match award. But Podravka will lament a missed chance in the last second, when Klara Birtic had a one-on-one situation with Gabriela Moreschi, yet shot wide. As CSM did not score for the last six minutes of the match, Podravka were close to secure a draw, but in the end the Romanian side celebrated that 31:30 win.

GROUP B

HB Ludwigsburg (GER) vs Rapid Bucuresti (ROU) 30:24 (17:14)

Just like in the previous match, their 28:26 win against Brest, Ludwigsburg started with a 5:0 run, which saw Rapid take an early team timeout. But the Romanian side, eager to clinch a play-offs berth with a win, bounced back and tied the score, 20:20, after multiple failed attempts. Nevertheless, Ludwigsburg recovered and delivered a 3:0 unanswered run to impose their will on the match. After scoring 10 goals at the EHF EURO 2024, goalkeeper Johanna Bundsen had an other-worldly performance with four goals scored in Rapid’s empty net, improving her overall tally this season to 10 goals, adding 14 saves for a 37 per cent saving efficiency. As Rapid dropped their 10th match in a row, they are still wrestling for a play-offs spot, while Ludwigsburg extended their unbeaten run to five matches.

Team Esbjerg (DEN) vs Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) 36:27 (20:15)

On the back of yet another fantastic outing from Henny Reistad, the first player to hit triple digits this season in the EHF Champions League Women, Esbjerg extended their unbeaten run in the competition to eight matches with an exquisite 36:27 win over Brest. It was the third consecutive loss for Brest, who are now out of contention for a quarter-finals berth, as their defence is reeling and cannot stop the opponents. Reistad finished the match with 10 goals, her sixth double-digit outing of the season, improving her overall tally to 105 goals, only two goals shy of her performance in the entire previous season. Esbjerg are now second in the standings with 19 points, one more than Odense, who they will face in an all-Danish Match of the Week in the next round.

Main photo © Niels Husted/NHC Foto