SUMMARY: Ikast remains unbeaten; Györ and CSM take two points away from Buducnost and Sävehof

• round 4 of the EHF Champions League Women 2023/24
• Bietigheim, Odense and Metz celebrate home victories, while Esbjerg take a win in Norway;
• after a difficult start in the MOTW, FTC and Rapid each claim one point; 
• CSM Bucuresti take two points in Sweden against IK Sävehof
• Jeřábková seals the deal for Ikast in a nail-biting duel against Krim; Györ wins against Buducnost 
• follow the official EHF Champions League socials on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook
• Iulia Burnei reported on Saturday; Simona Margetic reported on Sunday; all photos courtesy of the home teams

SUNDAY, 1 OCTOBER

18:16

We close the day with a review of the three matches played this Sunday and head to a two-week competition break! The EHF Champions League Women resumes on Saturday 21 October with round 5 matches.    

17:55

Relive all the emotions from Denmark and Hungary through the lenses of club photographers!    

FULL TIME

Ikast Håndbold - Krim Mercator Ljubljana 33:32 (14:18)
Györi Audi ETO KC - WHC Buducnost BEMAX 37:19 (23:8)

17:31

WHAT A MATCH! Ikast's Marketa Jeřábková scored the winning goal (33:32) in the last seconds of the match, and the Danish side danced it out on the court. 

17:25

Krim goes full power against Ikast now, as they tie two minutes before the end of the match. It's 31:31 in Denmark. 

17:24

Györ seals the deal against Buducnost and wins their 28th duel. The 37:19 victory is their biggest ever win against Buducnost. 

17:19

Györ still going strong against Buducnost (34:19). The Hungarian side scored 40 or more goals only seven times in the history of the competition. With five minutes left to be played, can they score six more? 

17:15

Ikast ties with Krim. Irma Schjött plays a crucial role in these moments, as she comes to 11 saves in total and the team captain Stine Skogrand scores from the seven-meter-line. 

17:05

Györ far ahead of Buducnost as we come closer to the middle of the second half. They have netted 28 times, while Buducnost managed to do so only 15 times. Ana Gros is the current top scorer with 8 goals scored out of 11 attempts. On the other side, Montenegrin goalkeepers have a "bad day" as Attingre and Giegerich only saved four in total so far. 

17:00

Tjaša Stanko is on fire against Ikast, as she scored 6/8 so far. Krim is still in the lead in Denmark, confirming what Julian Rux was writing in the latest Stats Counter: "The reason for their fast paced games is on the defensive side... Defensively, Krim also rank first with just 20.6 goals conceded per 50 possessions." This proves to be a recipe for Krim's success. 

16:50

The second half is on in Hungary and Denmark! 

16:48

As we wait for the second half to throw off in Hungary and Denmark, here is a short compilation of the best actions from the first 30 minutes. Check them out! 

HALF-TIME

Ikast Håndbold - Krim Mercator Ljubljana 14:18
Györi Audi ETO KC - WHC Buducnost BEMAX 23:8

16:32

With less than two minutes left on the clock, Krim is ahead with two goals (14:16) against Ikast and Györ is making it impossible for Buducnost (21:7). 

16:30

Milena Raicevic continues to assist her teammates in a brilliant way! In round 3 she had 16 assists and now she steals the assist spotlight once again. 

16:27

Ikast vs Krim delivering the expected - the battle of the Titans is on from the first minute. With only a couple of minutes left until the end of the first half, both sides are fighting hard to stay unbeaten. On Krim's side, Babi Arenhart is on 50% of saves (10/20) while Ikast's Irma Schjött saved 5/15 making her 33,33%. 

16:19

Buducnost is struggling to keep up with Györ, who is six goals up (12:6). In Denmark, Ingvild Bakkerud scored for +2 (10:8), making Krim a bit nervous. 

16:07

Great handball served in Denmark in the early minutes of the match. Ikast and Krim are on top of their game! Györ started strong and is already on 4:1 against Buducnost.

16:00

Both matches are underway! Make sure you tune in to EHFTV (geo-restrictions may apply).

15:48

With less than 15 minutes left until Ikast meets Krim and Györ hosts Buducnost, here are some facts and figures for the two matches: 

• Ikast and Kris is the duel between the only two unbeaten teams in group B 
• Krim can get their 135th win in the competition’s history; only Buducnost and Györ have won more
• Györ (208 wins) and Buducnost (158 wins) are the teams with the largest number of wins in the history of the EHF Champions League Women
• the last time Buducnost lost the first four matches in an EHF Champions League group phase was in 2006/07 season – with one defeat coming against Györ

15:38

Before we head into the two remaining matches of round 4, let's check the best photo moments from Sweden.

FULL TIME

IK Sävehof - CSM Bucuresti 26:41 (11:22)

15:20

CSM heading towards their third win against Sävehof. They met in the competition twice before, both in the 2015/16 season. The Romanian side celebrated back then with 28:17 in their first match and 27:22 in the second. 

15:09

Goalkeepers on both sides delivered some amazing performances as they exchanged between the posts. Bundsen-Linder duo saved eight in total, while the Bucuresti trio Erikkson-Glauser-Davidsen collected nine so far. 

15:01

CSM heading into the last 20 minutes of the match with a huge advantage. They are 13 goals (15:28) ahead of Sävehof. Trine Østergaard Jensen (5/5), Emilie Arntzen (5/5) and Vilde Mortensen Ingstad (4/4) are Bucuresti's top scorers after 40 minutes.

14:50

Annie Linder does it again! She opened the second half with a stunning save! Monika Kobylinska was heading towards her alone but did not manage to score. 

14:47

As we wait for the second half to start, let's look at this beautiful save by Linder. The first 30 minutes are behind us and Neagu hasn't netted yet. She needs three goals to reach the 1,050 milestone. The question remains - will she make it? We can't recall when was the last time she did not score a single goal in a match she played. 

HALF-TIME

IK Sävehof - CSM Bucuresti 11:22

14:28

Adi Vasile's team is showing good defence against the Swedish side, conceding only 10 goals. Evelina Eriksson stopped every attempt in the last minutes, even the one from the seven-meter-line.

14:20

Neagu's third attempt to score her first goal of the match, but now Linder stops the ball. Still, 40 minutes left for Neagu to reach yet another milestone in the competition. 

14:17 

Five goals difference (5:10) just as the first 15 minutes passed by. Emilie Arntzen is spotless with 4/4! Let's see if she can remain so until the end of the first half.

14:11

CSM had a great start and are leading by three (3:6) in the first ten minutes of the match. Sävehof, on the other side, made a few mistakes, but Bundsen is keeping them in the game. 

14:03

If we look at the first three minutes of the match, we will witness some fast-paced handball. Cristina Neagu has had her first try to reach 1,050 goals (missing three), but Johanna Bundsen had her eyes on the ball. 

14:00

The match between IK Sävehof and CSM Bucuresti is underway! 

13:55

Another great warm-up for the Ikast vs Krim is the second episode of "The Spin: We Talk Handball", where the Brazilian goalkeeper, Barbara Arenhart, talks all things life and handball. With the nickname "20 Shades of Saves", one of Krim's key players in defence goes all personal. 

13:50

Györ and Buducnost open their 27th duel today at 16:00 CEST. The stats are on the Hungarian side, who celebrated in 20 of those encounters, so Buducnost will have to be fully focused if they want to surprise the home team.

13:45

Sävehof and CSM only met twice in the history of the EHF Champions League Women and both matches ended in favour of the Romanian side. However, Adrian Vasile is aware that CSM has to be fully focused today.  

13:32

All eyes today are on Ikast and Krim, as the two unbeaten teams meet to battle for the top position in group B. Our data journalist Julian Rux took a look behind Krim's blocking machine and analysed the two teams before they face off. Read what the stats say in our latest Stats counter!

13:15

Welcome to the live coverage of the remaining three matches in round 4 of the EHF Champions League Women! First on the schedule is IK Sävehof against CSM Bucuresti at 14:00 CEST, followed by the remaining two matches of round 4 at 16:00 CEST, where the only two unbeaten teams in group B, Ikast  Håndbold and Krim Mercator Ljubljana meet for what's expected to be a thrilling duel! At the same time, Györ Audi ETO KC and WHC Buducnost BEMAX will take on the court in Audi Arena Györ.  

All matches are streamed live on EHFTV (geo-restrictions may apply).

SATURDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER

20:39

We’re wrapping up our EHF Champions League Women live coverage for today! Once again, we’ve witnessed some quality handball, as four teams get to celebrate their victories at the end of the day. Tomorrow’s schedule features three more games: CSM Bucuresti travel to Sweden to face Sävehof starting 14:00 CEST, while Györ and Ikast welcome Buducnost and Krim on their home courts at 16:00 CEST. As usual, our live blog will be up and running tomorrow as well! Have a great night!

20:36

We can’t let today’s coverage end without sharing our day review with you. Here’s all the information you might have missed during Saturday’s games.

20:22

Mixed feelings in Hungary, where the hosts dominated the match in the first half and seemed to go straight to their first victory of the season. However, a change in Rapid's pace after the break took them by surprise. The Romanian team looks happy with the result, as their new coach has stated.

20:07

Round 4 of the EHF Champions League Women started off strong, with lots of entertaining action for the fans. Take a look at some of the best photos of the day.

19:41

Great performance by Andrea Lekic today, who wins the Player of the Match award!

19:31 FULL-TIME

FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria – CS Rapid Bucuresti 24:24 (14:10)
Vipers Kristiansand – Team Esbjerg 37:38 (15:20)
Metz Handball – MKS Zaglebie Lubin 42:26 (22:10)

19:27

One minute left and Rapid have the attack. It's 24:24.

19:22

The most difficult part starts now. With only five minutes left on the clock, let's see which team works better under pressure. Current score in the MOTW – 24:23.

19:16

What a comeback from Rapid, who manage to get to 22:22! The game in on!

19:12

Esbjerg have let their guards down in the last minutes, which offered Vipers the opportunity to get closer (28:29). In attack, it's a battle between Anna Vyakhireva and Nora Mørk, who have scored ten and eight goals, respectively.

Metz seem to have an easy job this evening, currently leading by double-digits (32:16).

19:08

A glimpse into the future! The 17 year old goalkeeper shows off her talent in the MOTW.

19:00

Eight minutes into the second half and the situation in Hungary is the same. Rapid can't seem to find their pace and are struggling to get past FTC's defence. It looks like the hosts are heading for their first win this season. They are currently leading 19:13.

18:49

Let's take a look at some of the stats from this round's MOTW. Dorina Korsós is the main scorer for Rapid (three goals), while FTC can count on Andrea Lekic's experience (four goals) and Emily Bölk's talent (three goals) when it comes to their attack.

Get ready for the remaining 30 minutes of today's EHF Champions League Women matches!

18:44

Vipers will need more goals like this in the second half, if they want to narrow the gap to Esbjerg. Beautifully executed by Jamina Roberts!

18:39 HALF-TIME

FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria – CS Rapid Bucuresti 14:10
Vipers Kristiansand – Team Esbjerg 15:20
Metz Handball – MKS Zaglebie Lubin 22:10

18:32

The nightmare continues for Lubin, as they can't seem to pick up the pace in France. With only nine goals scored so far, the Polish side has to find a solution quickly.

At the same time, Esbjerg are enjoying their time in Norway. The guests rely on Nora Mørk and Henny Reistad's performance, as both players have scored four times so far.

18:29

The Hungarian team manages to stay ahead of Rapid, despite the Romanians' best efforts. Five minutes until the break and the hosts are +4 (12:8).

18:21

What a way to start the MOTW! 

18:14

Last season's champions Vipers are struggling against Esbjerg, who take an early four-goal lead (3:7). Metz also prove to be a tough opponent for Lubin, netting ten times in ten minutes.

18:05

Not the start Rapid were hoping for! FTC take an early lead and establish a three-goal gap (3:0) in the first minutes. It's a timeout for David Ginesta Montes' team!

18:00

Get ready for more! All three EHF Champions League Women matches left on today's schedule are starting now!

17:51

There are three more games on our schedule for today, starting at 18.00 CEST, one of which is the MOTW between FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria and Rapid Bucuresti. This is the first time these two teams meet and they’ll definitely put on a great show in the hunt for two points. The start of the season hasn’t been great for them so far, as the Hungarian team is on a three-match losing streak, while the Romanians are eager to get their second win. Let’s see what the players had to say.

17:44

Before moving on to the second part of the EHF Champions League action-packed Saturday, let’s see some of the best photos from Germany and Denmark!

17:37 FULL-TIME

SG BBM Bietigheim – Brest Bretagne Handball 34:30 (17-16)
Odense Håndbold – DVSC Schaeffler 33:30 (17:14)

17:28

We've reached the last five minutes. DVSC narrowed the gap to one goal earlier, but a few mistakes on their side helped Odense grow the difference to +4. Brest seem to have lost the momentum, as they are currently two goals down (30:28).

17:18

The atmosphere continues to be tense in the match between Bietigheim and Brest. The French team has lost the lead, and Pablo Morel can't rely anymore on Katharina Filter, who received a red card. As far as the other game is concerned, Dione Housheer (six goals) and Elma Halilcevic (five goals) make sure to take advantage of every scoring opportunity. Twelve minutes to go!

17:08

Not an ideal start of the second half for the German club, but Xenia Smits is there to help the team when needed!

17:03

It's timeout for Bietigheim, as they are looking for a way to get back into the rhythm.

16:59

In the first minutes after the break, DVSC still can't find their way through the Danish defence, as the hosts are four goals ahead. The odds seem to be in Brest's favour in Germany after managing to take the lead.

16:45

Julie Foggea's performance in the first 30 minutes helped Brest Bretagne Handball stay close to their German hosts. Only a few minutes away from the second half!

HALF-TIME

SG BBM Bietigheim – Brest Bretagne Handball 17:16
Odense Håndbold – DVSC Schaeffler 17:14

16:31

As we're getting closer to the half-time break, Bietigheim keep a steady two-goal gap to Brest, as Karolina Kudlacz-Gloc has stolen the spotlight and managed to score six times. Meanwhile in Denmark, DVSC have managed to narrow the gap to only two goals.

16:23

With 3/3 so far, Dione Housheer definitely looks like a key player for Odense today.

16:18

We're 15 minutes into the first half and Bietigheim and Brest both look strong in the attack (10:8). Dione Housheer has helped Odense keep the distance from DVSC Schaeffler, scoring three times so far, as her team is currently leading 9:3.

16:06

Odense take advantage of the Hungarians' slow start and establish a six goal gap in the first four minutes (6:0). In Germany, the match is more balanced, as both teams have already netted twice. 

16:00

The matches are underway!

15:48

Let’s see what to expect from the 16.00 CEST games. SG BBM Bietigheim have had the perfect start in the EHF Champions League group phase, grabbing all six points from three matches. But that doesn’t mean that they underestimate their French opponents, as left wing Veronika Malá made sure to emphasize.

Regarding the match between Odense Håndbold and DVSC Schaeffler, the Danish team’s left wing Elma Halilcevic believes that the atmosphere in Sydbank Arena will exceed expectations. Although they’ve managed to win two out of three games, Odense know that every point counts.

15:28

We’re only 30 minutes away from the first matches of the day, so make sure to check the list of all the fixtures for this EHF Champions League weekend. Remember, all matches are available on EHF TV (geo-restrictions may apply).

15:15

With less than an hour until the first whistle, check out the round preview to brush up on all the important facts for this weekend. Also, we’ve talked to Spanish national team coach Ambros Martin, who shared his insights on today’s MOTW between FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria and Rapid Bucuresti. It’s a must-read!