Nykøbing seal quarter-final berth by beating Sola

GROUP A

BV Borussia 09 Dortmund (GER) vs Siófok KC (HUN) 26:23 (10:10)

In front of 11,112 fans, the biggest crowd in EHF European League Women history and a record for women's club matches in Germany, Dortmund beat Siófok and took first spot in the group. The German side will meet Nantes in the quarter-finals, while Siófok will take on the only unbeaten team - Ikast Håndbold.

The first half was all about goalkeepers - Yara Ten Holte stopped 11 shots at 52 per cent save efficiency while Marina Rajcic was at 50 per cent efficiency with 10 saves. After almost a level game, Dortmund were the first one to gain a significant lead, reaching 23:18 10 minutes before the final whistle, courtesy of Merret Ossenkopp. Siófok tried to step up a gear but they could only soothe the defeat with Blanka Kajdon's five goals.

GROUP B

Motherson Mosonmagyarovari KC (HUN) vs Neptunes de Nantes (FRA) 30:33 (15:17)

In a do-or-die match, Mosonmagyarovar could not stop Nantes in front of their fans and ended their European season. Nantes celebrated their third win of the season, with eight-goal outings by Nathalie Hagman and Léna Grandveau, and secured their quarter-final spot where they will play against Dortmund.

After an initial lead by the home side, with fast breaks and good defence, Nantes made a turnaround. Mosonmagyarovar kept the contest close but as the second half commenced, they made crucial mistakes and allowed the French side to make a 4:0 run for a six-goal lead. There was a spark of hope for the home side in the closing minutes with four consecutive goals but it turned out to be too little, too late.

GROUP C

Sola HK (NOR) vs Nykøbing Falster Håndbold (DEN) 26:28 (16:17)

The second encounter between the two sides ended with the same result as the first – 28:26. However, this time it was Nykøbing celebrating a win which put them top of the group. SC Ramnicu Valcea will be Nykøbing’s opponent in the quarter-finals, while the Danish side will meet Thüringer HC.

Sola started off well in defence and took a two-goal lead. Nykøbing took their first advantage with a 5:0 goal run near the end of the first half, but with Live Rushfeldt Deila's five goals Sola closed the gap.

The second part had a slower pace, resulting in a lower number of goals, and was marked by Mia Solbeg Svele and Charlotte Lund Mikkelsen's performance, both netting six. Nykøbing went in front by two, eight minutes into the second half (18:20) and maintained that lead until the end.

DVSC Schaeffler (HUN) vs HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO) 32:31 (19:15)

Despite celebrating their fourth win of the season, DVSC Schaeffler had to say goodbye to the European League. The quarter-final spot slipped from their hands due to an inferior goal difference compared to Sola and Nykøbing. Even though they came close in the end, Podravka join Molde Elite as the only two clubs without a point won this season.

Debrecen had a blistering start and Podravka were trailing by more than four almost all of the first half. The Croatian side started to play more with ease in the attack and set the score at 22:23, 10 minutes into the second half. It seemed that Debrecen had taken a decisive four-goal lead but Podravka bounced back again grabbing an equaliser two minutes before the buzzer. Mariana Costa saved the night by scoring almost with the buzzer for a narrow win.