Summary: Metz win MOTW; Györ and Esbjerg on top of their groups
The EHF Champions League Women 2023/24 bows out for 2023 this weekend as it reaches round 8, ahead of the women's international break for the 2023 IHF Women's World Championship. The weekend's matches are all mirror images of round 7, giving teams a second chance against sides they just met. The highlight is Match of the Week from Metz, after the French side beat Krim 28:22 last week in Slovenia.
20:45
That's the end of today's coverage - join us again tomorrow from about 13:00 CET, when we'll bring you the last three EHF Champions League Women games of the year including Match of the Week in Metz!
20:31
Group A is now done for the year, and here are the standings as we go into 2024 (!)
Györ are perfect at the top, with the best defence of the group - the only team to concede fewer than 200 goals (24.8 on average). Odense have the best attack, scoring a huge 277 goals in eight matches (an average of 34.6).
Buducnost have the weakest attack, with just 183 goals scored (22.9 on average), but Sävehof's defence is letting them down badly and they have conceded 272 goals, or 34 per match.
20:12
Here's some reaction from some of the winning teams today - there's a sense of satisfaction, but everyone knows nothing is yet certain.
We showed more discipline than in the first game. We showed good energy and from the first minute we knew what we wanted. I am proud of my team and we are going to the break after winning two important points.
We played a really good match as we did in Sweden. I have told my girls several times that they have the spirit so we have to keep playing and we know they are a team with a lot of potential and if we stop fighting then they will come back.
It was a very intense game. There were a lot of similar things to last week, and a lot of different ones. I think we found solutions for last week’s problem in defence, and in offence as well. Today my players were calm and disciplined, that’s why we could win.
17:34 | FULL-TIME
DVSC SCHAEFFLER 23:30 CSM BUCURESTI
Evelina Eriksson spent most of the match in goal for CSM and she performed amazingly, saving 20 out of 43 shots (46.5 per cent). That was a major difference which helped the visitors to a good win over DVSC, despite the home team's spirited defence in the second half. They closed the gap somewhat, but just not quite enough.
The top scorers of the match was Stefania Stoica (eight from nine shots), but Szimonetta Planeta scored six from seven for DVSC.
17:27 | FULL-TIME
ODENSE HÅNDBOLD 40:22 IK SÄVEHOF
It's a little closer than last week, but Odense didn't really have to work too hard in the second half. Sävehof remain winless until 2024 and Odense are second in the group, ahead of the upcoming match in Györ.
It's the third match in a row in the Champions League where Odense have scored at least 40 goals. Today, Elma Halilcevic was top scorer, with seven out of 10 shots. Mie Højlund is the only Odense player who did not score.
Nina Koppang and Olivia Mellegård both score three for Sävehof, and Yara ten Holte is the best goalkeeper with 10 saves from 21 shots (47.6 per cent).
17:14
DVSC are keeping the pressure on CSM, who are staying ahead mostly because of Emilie Hegh Arntzen who's filling in nicely for the absent Cristina Neagu.
17:08
A couple of changes in goal in Odense: Althea Reinhardt has replaced Yara ten Holte for Odense, and Annie Linder has taken over from Johanna Bundsen. So far, neither is having much success and despite a couple of good fast breaks from Nina Koppang, Odense extend their lead to 30:14.
CSM have stopped DVSC from closing the gap any more, but four goals (21:17) is still not much and the fans are sensing that their team could maybe come back. There's a small pause while Vivien Grosch and Alexandra Dindiligan get rid of a patch of resin on the court, and then we're back into the match.
17:00
Four goals for Odense since the restart and none for Sävehof, and a win for the Danish side looks inevitable.
DVSC came out of the dressing room with spirit, scoring twice in a minute, but another missed penalty gave CSM the chance to steady things. However, the gap is now three goals rather than six and you have to wonder if CSM's 12 outfield players will have the stamina to counter if DVSC keep up the charge.
16:50
While we wait for things to restart, enjoy some of the best saves of the matches so far!
16:40 | HALF-TIME
DVSC SCHAEFFLER 9:15 CSM BUCURESTI
This is much better from CSM than last week, although they have allowed DVSC to have four penalty shots. Luckily for the visitors, only one seven-metre throw has gone in. A really good defence, backed up by a superb Evelina Eriksson (10 saves from 19 shots, or 52.6 per cent) means CSM lead by more than last week's 17:14 at half-time. However, they will be conscious that DVSC came back into the match in Bucharest and could do so again.
Emilie Hegh Arntzen, Stefania Stoica and Vilde Ingstad have all scored three goals, and they are currently the top scorers.
ODENSE HÅNDBOLD 21:11 IK SÄVEHOF
Sävehof had such a good start but once Odense got into gear there was no stopping them. Now, the home team are in cruise control again and the half-time score is identical to last week in Sweden.
Andrea Hansen leads the scoring, with six goals from seven shots, and Yara ten Holte has made six saves (35.3 per cent). That's one of the differences between the sides - nine Sävehof players have managed to score, but nobody more than twice, and Johanna Bundsen ended up with just five saves (21.7 per cent) after a really good start to the game.
16:32
Stefania Stoica is in charge of leading the CSM attack going into the break, with clear instructions from Adrian Vasile in the timeout. The visitors have a chance to go into the dressing up comfortably up.
In Odense, another 40-goal game could well be on the cards for the home team as they now lead 18:10.
16:24
Twenty minutes in, and CSM still have a lead over DVSC - 10:6 - with Evelina Eriksson stopping a good number of shots for the visitors. Generally, CSM are finding it easier to score and putting up a bit more solid defence.
16:13
It's worth noting that CSM have travelled to Debrecen without their talismanic left back Cristina Neagu, who injured her knee last week and is recovering from the injury - hopefully in time for the upcoming world championship.
So far, it doesn't matter, as CSM take a 4:0 lead with a solid penalty throw by Crina Pintea. DVSC call their first timeout.
Over in Denmark, Odense have resolved their early problems against the Sävehof defence and lead 7:4.
16:05
And we're underway for the last round of 2023!
Sävehof have clearly learned from last week and are putting up a solid defence to Odense's attack. Coupled with a good start by their goalkeeper Johanna Bundsen - who sits second in the overall goalkeeper stats - they lead 3:2 after just under five minutes.
CSM have also had a good start, scoring twice to DVSC's zero.
15:55
We wonder what Adrian Vasile is thinking before this match in Hungary? His team are tied on points with DVSC, although CSM are ranked fourth in the group thanks to a better goal difference. With Brest only two points behind them, the race for the play-offs is looking extremely tight.
Everything begins in five minutes, so find yourself a comfy seat and turn on the television or EHFTV now!
15:45
Later on this afternoon, three games will happen at once: Györ vs Bietigheim and Buducnost vs Brest in group A, and Vipers vs Rapid in group B. The latter two were close last week, with Rapid seizing a win by a single goal and Brest and Buducnost recording a draw, but Györ continued their superb run. They have the best defence in the competition.
Some records to look out for in Buducnost: if the home team win, it will be their 160th Champions League victory, making them only the second team ever (after Györ) to reach that number. And Brest's sixth goal will be their 2,500th in the competition, which would make them the 17th team to hit that target.
15:35
Warm-ups are well underway for the first two matches, which begin at 16:00 CET: DVSC Schaeffler host CSM Bucuresti, and Sävehof have travelled to Odense. Odense have scored over 40 goals in the last two rounds and are on superb form - what will Sävehof have learned from last week's game?
DVSC are also on good form with three unbeaten games in a row. But this match will be intriguing, as they have a record of three wins from four home games, while CSM have performed better away than at home. Maybe this is the match which is most likely to end in another tie?
15:20
So let's recap a bit what happened in round 7, because every match this weekend is a mirror image of last week:
- CSM drew 29:29 with DVSC Schaeffler in Bucharest
- Odense beat Sävehof 44:20 in Sweden, their biggest-ever Champions League win
- Györ defeated Bietigheim 34:26 away to remain unbeaten
- Brest and Buducnost drew 20:20 in France
- Rapid beat defending champions Vipers 30:29 on Romanian soil
- FTC were too strong for Lubin, winning 35:22
- Esbjerg won the Danish derby 35:34 in Ikast
- and Metz beat Krim 28:22 in Ljubljana
It would be quite something if we managed to get another two draws this week, but certainly not impossible.
15:00
Welcome to round 8 of the EHF Champions League Women 2023/24, where Györ will try and maintain their winning streak, there's another Danish derby at the top of group B, and Metz look for a home Match of the Week win to finish off 2023 on a high.
To start things off, here's the round preview.
