Esbjerg deal FTC another home loss in MOTW

QUARTER-FINALS, FIRST LEG

MOTW: FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) vs Team Esbjerg (DEN) 25:26 (11:13)

• Esbjerg avenged last season’s loss in the EHF FINAL4, by dominating this match, with a 4:0 run early in the first half seeing them take control and never relinquish it
• the best scorer in the history of the EHF FINAL4, left back Henny Reistad, who scored 60 goals in four appearances, was the top scorer of the encounter today with 10 goals
• Esbjerg have never failed to make the EHF FINAL4 or lost a single doubleheader in the European premium competition after securing away wins
• this was the 10^th loss this season for FTC, as the last season’s runners-up conceded the largest number of losses in a single season in the European premium competition
• Esbjerg secured their third win in as many matches against FTC this season, after the 33:28 and 27:23 ones in the group phase.

Another comeback for FTC?

In last season’s quarter-finals, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria lost by six goals against Metz Handball, only to mount a superb comeback in the second match, taking a seven-goal win. In this season’s play-offs, the Hungarian side mounted another comeback against Brest, cancelling a two-goal loss with a five-goal win. This time around, their mission will be tougher, despite being down only one goal against Team Esbjerg.

In a season in which she's dealing with a lot of ups and downs when it comes to her form, Henny Reistad, last season’s top goal scorer in the EHF Champions League Women, scored 10 goals as Esbjerg duly delivered an excellent performance, making it through thick and thin, despite FTC putting all their might in mounting a comeback.

Centre back Andrea Lekic, one of the three players in the European premium competition with over 1000 goals scored, scored seven times for FTC, but the Hungarian side will try to mount another comeback, their third in the knockout phases of the last two seasons, hoping to secure back-to-back appearances in the EHF FINAL4.