17:57
The players are warmed up, and the match will throw off very soon.
17:45
Just 15 minutes until MOTW throws off - make sure you're following our Instagram account for live updates!
Here's some of the key facts about the game.
- Metz won four out of the six encounters at home against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, most recently in February 2024, by 25:24; overall, FTC won 10 out of 20 clashes between the two
- FTC have the third-best attack of the competition with 123 goals scored — or 30.75 goals per game on average — while Metz are only short behind with 120 goals
- Metz' goalkeeper Zsófi Szemerey played for FTC from 2018 to 2020; FTC's right back Valeriia Maslova will also face her former teammates
- Sarah Bouktit (25 goals) and Chloé Valentini (24 goals) are the two best individuals for Metz
- Angela Malestein (21) and Daria Dmitrieva (19) are FTC's top scorers so far
17:40
Elsewhere today, Storhamar Handball Elite have just earned themelves their first win of the season, beating Nykøbing Falster Håndbold 33:28 in Denmark. And after scoring just seven goals in their first half against HC Podravka Vegeta, CS Gloria 2018 BN had a better second half but had left themselves too much to do. Podravka win 29:25, also securing their first victory of the group phase, in what ended up as a showdown between two outstanding Croatian goalkeepers, Ivana Kapitanovic (eight saves, 40 per cent efficiency for Gloria) and Lucija Bešen (12 saves, 36 per cent efficiency for Podravka).
17:35
Here's the squad for Metz today - a strong line-up!
17:28
This week's feature interview ahead of the Match of the Week saw EHF journalist Danijela Vekić catch up with FTC's Valeriia Maslova, who arrived in Budapest from a stellar season with Brest Bretagne Handball last year. Maslova knows Metz well - not only did she play against them last year in the domestic league, she used to play for them too. In fact, in 2022/23, Metz, featuring Maslova, were knocked out of the Champions League by FTC in the quarter-finals.
Find out why victory is what matters now for Maslova as she makes her return to the Metz arena, but this time wearing green and white.