Brest and Metz prove too strong for their Romanian rivals

• after Brest Bretagne Handball defeated CSM Bucuresti, both sides are level on 11 points, taking fourth and fifth positions in Group A, respectively
• Sara Bouktit put on an impressive performance, as her 12 goals helped Metz Handball to down CS Rapid Bucuresti and extend their winning streak
• another Metz player, Kristina Jörgensen netted six times and climbed to the top of the tournament's scoring chart with a tally of 66 goals, just one more than Bouktit has
• despite a slow start, DVSC Schaeffler won at WHC Buducnost by six goals, showing some solid defence, and improving their chances for a play-off spot
• Ikast Handbold ended their four-match winless run, beating MKS Zaglebie Lubin, who are still without any points in the current tournament      

GROUP A

WHC Buducnost BEMAX vs DVSC Schaeffler (HUN) 21:27 (11:11)

The rivals sit next to each other in the Group A table, and with a win, seventh-placed Buducnost would have closed the gap with DVSC to just two points. However, the Hungarian side earned a victory, which means that their Montenegrin opponents are now in a very difficult position. Buducnost took early control of the game, leading 3:0 before Greta Kacsor scored DVSC's first goal of the game in the 11th minute. The visitors drew level quite soon after, but it was only in the second half that they gained dominance, as the unstoppable Kacsor became their top scorer with nine goals.

Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) vs CSM Bucuresti (ROU) 24:21 (13:10)

The home side had a slow start, scoring just twice in the opening 13 minutes as CSM took a 5:2 lead. Brest, however, gradually took the match under their control, and Paulina Coatanea was on fire, scoring five goals before the break to power her team to a three-goal lead. Coatanea ultimately became a top scorer of the match, while her teammate, Katharina Filter also contributed to Brest's win with her 15 saves for a 44 per cent efficiency. CSM made a lot of mistakes and had a below-par 47 per cent shot efficiency in the match, and although the visitors stayed in fight until the last minutes, the French team maintained their advantage and ended CSM's four-game unbeaten run.

GROUP B

MKS Zaglebie Lubin (POL) vs Ikast Handbold (DEN) 26:35 (15:21)

Third-placed Ikast had claimed just one point in their four previous matches in the tournament, but they were seen as favourites in Poland and ultimately they took a clear victory to end a four-game winless run and make another step towards a play-off spot. It was Lubin who opened the score, but the visitors responded with a 5:0 run afterwards on the way to a 21 goal first half. In the second half, the game was more balanced, yet Ikast's win was never in question. In turn, Lubin suffered their tenth consecutive defeat and are still without a point.  Julie Scaglione was the top scorer of the match with seven goals.

CS Rapid Bucuresti (ROU) vs Metz Handball (FRA) 31:34 (18:16)

Rapid, who are ranked seventh in Group B and are fighting hard for a play-off spot, came close to snatching precious points against second-placed Metz, but a late surge helped the French team to a win. The Romanian team led at the interval and had a slight advantage well into the second half, yet they were unable to hold back line player, Sara Bouktit, who scored 12 goals from 13 attempts. The rivals were still tied at 31:31 with five minutes to go, but the more experienced Metz had the upper hand in the crucial minutes, scoring three unanswered goals in the remaining time. Following their seventh consecutive win, Metz still have a three-point advantage over the third-place Ikast.