Metz take control of Group B with MOTW win

• DVSC are now on a two-match winning streak on away courts, after failing to secure any win in their first seven away matches in the European premium competition
• Metz have sealed their ninth consecutive win, only one win shy of their record in the European premium competition and have control of their group
• left back Emily Bölk was FTC’s top scorer in the match against Rapid, with eight goals, as Rapid conceded their second home loss this season, more than the entire past season
• Rapid are on their largest-ever losing streak in the competition, five matches in a row, while the Romanian side scored the lowest number of goals in a match, only 20
• Metz’s line player, Markéta Jerábková, is the new top scorer of the competition after this round, with 76 goals, one more than Metz’s Sarah Bouktit, who scored eight times against Esbjerg

GROUP A

SG BBM Bietigheim (GER) vs DVSC Schaeffler (HUN) 27:31 (15:13)

After starting the season with five wins and a single loss, Bietigheim have conceded four losses in the last five matches. Unlike in the previous season, the German champions still sealed a place in the play-offs, but they are out of contention for a quarter-finals berth and are likely to finish either fifth or sixth in this group, as they hold the smallest of leads ahead DVSC, after their home loss, 27:31. The Hungarian side are in the play-offs and they clinched their second away win in a row, making it to 11 points in their return after more than a decade in the European premium competition.

GROUP B

CS Rapid Bucuresti (ROU) vs FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) 20:23 (11:16)

Last season’s runners-up, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, were on the brink of elimination after their worst start of the season in a decade, but secured a vital win against Rapid, with an excellent defensive outing, which limited the Romanian side to only 20 goals, their lowest output in their history in the EHF Champions League Women. While the defense stood tall, the attack did just enough to score 23 goals and FTC are now three points ahead with two games left, holding the tiebreaker against Rapid, after the two sides drew in the first leg. On the other hand, Rapid, who reached the quarter-finals last season, have just an outside chance to progress, as they are now on a five-match losing streak, including two losses by a single goal.

MOTW: Metz Handball (FRA) vs Team Esbjerg (DEN) 36:31 (20:17)

At only 21 years old, line player Sarah Bouktit is swiftly becoming one of the top players in the world. Her eight-goal performance against Team Esbjerg, which brought the “Player of the Match of the Week” award for Bouktit, was just the next in a line of other fantastic performances that are anchoring the best attack in the competition, which scored 411 goals so far. This was a crucial win for Metz - their ninth in a row. They have a two-point lead over Esbjerg, holding the tie-breaker against the Danish side, with the French side close to another quarter-finals berth.