Gloria claim early quarter-final spot with a win in Nantes

• Renata de Arruda's 20 saves secured Gloria's impressive win away at Neptunes Nantes
• the Romanian side top Group C with seven points, ahead of Nantes who remained second with five points
• the goalkeeper also played a crucial role in Norway, as 16 saves by Olivia Lykke Nygaard propelled Storhamar Handball Elite to a win against HC Podravka Vegeta
• it was not a good gay for the Croatian sides, as HC Lokomotiva also lost, away against Braila, and lost a chance to go through
• Nykøbing stayed in the race for a quarter-final spot, beating Praktiker-Vac on home court

GROUP A

Storhamar Handball Elite (NOR) vs HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO) 31:22 (19:11)

In round 3, Podravka had beaten Storhamar at home, 23:19, but now the Norwegian team took a convincing revenge and returned on top of the group table. Goalkeeper Olivia Lykke Nygaard contributed a lot to her team's success, saving 16 shots for a 43 per cent save rate, while centre back Anniken Obaidli led Storhamar offensively with eight goals. The hosts were particularly impressive in the first half, as they led by eight goals at the interval. Podravka were missing two important players, as Tina Barisic is out for a season with an ACL rupture, and Ana Pandza was sidelined due to an illness. In the second half, the visitors somewhat improved their game, yet Storhamar's win was no more in question.

Nykøbing Falster Håndbold (DEN) vs Praktiker-Vac (HUN) 32:27 (17:15)

The current group stage has been quite frustrating for Nykøbing, as although the Danish team fought hard in every game, they suffered three consecutive defeats and found themselves on the brink of an early elimination. However, now Nykøbing finally earned two points, as they defeated Vac on home court. It was a well-deserved victory, as the Nordic side was dominant throughout the game, and the visitors were never in front. All Vac could do was to draw level a few times, the last time at 19:19 in the 43th minute. But after that, Nykøbing used a 5:1 run to pull clear again, as their goalkeeper Catharina Broch made a string of saves, and the match was basically decided. The Danish team retained a chance to go through, even if it is not big.

GROUP B

H.C.Dunarea Braila (ROU) vs HC Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO) 34:26 (19:15)

The start of the game featured a close battle, but after the rivals were level at 8:8 13 minutes into the game, goals from Corina Lupei and Kristina Liscevic propelled Braila to a 12:8 lead. The home side maintained a four-goal gap at half-time, and they continued the same way after the restart. Two weeks ago in Zagreb, Braila had won by just one goal, 30:29, but now the Romanian team had a bigger advantage. Lokomotiva, whose right back Kristina Dramac became a top scorer of the game with eight goals, tried to fight back and slashed the gap to three goals (26:23) with nine minutes to go. But the hosts were entirely dominant in the closing minutes and cruised to an eight-goal victory.

GROUP C

Neptunes Nantes (FRA) vs CS Gloria 2018 BN (ROU) 29:34 (14:16)

Before the match it was clear that the winner would secure a quarter-final spot, and obviously both teams were determined to succeed. In the reverse fixture, the teams had split points in a low-scoring match (19:19), and now the first half was extremely tight, as the rivals exchanged goals most of the time. However, Gloria's 4:1 run before the break put them two goals ahead, and they continued to dominate in the second half, with their advantage reaching nine goals (33:24) seven minutes from full-time. Just like two weeks ago, Gloria's goalkeeper Renata De Arruda did a great job, making 20 saves for a 44 per cent efficiency, while her teammate Bianca Bazaliu scored nine goals. While Gloria are through, Nantes remain second-placed with five points, so everything is still in their hands.

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— EHF European League (@ehfel_official) February 4, 2024