CSKA upset Metz and help Vipers

GROUP B

CSKA (RUS) vs Metz Handball (FRA) 27:26 (12:15)

• former Metz player Ana Gros scored five of CSKA's seven opening goals, as the sides were tied at 7:7 in the 15th minute
• between minutes 18 and 22, the French team used a 4:0 run to get in front 13:9, as Ivana Kapitanovic did well in their goal
• early in the second half, CSKA also enjoyed a 4:0 run to take an 18:17 lead, and soon after that, a 3:0 run saw them pull clear at 24:20
• Gros was CSKA's top scorer with seven goals, but she got an injury in the second half and could not finish the game
• Tamara Horacek and Sarah Bouktit scored five times each for the French side. Their teammate Meline Nocandy scored the last goal of the game with six seconds to go, but it did not help the visitors
• Metz, who failed to earn a direct quarter-final spot, will now face Borussia Dortmund in the play-offs, while CSKA will play CSM Bucuresti

CSKA improved after break

In the first 30 minutes, CSKA did not really look like a team who would win this game. Their players made a lot of mistakes in attack, and the home side's goalkeeping left much to be desired. However, the Russian champions managed to improve a lot after the restart. Polina Kaplina stopped a number of goals and finished the game with a decent save rate of 32 per cent. And in attack, the hosts were more clinical, which allowed them to clinch a one-goal win and upset Metz.