MOTW LIVE BLOG: Metz take second-half lead vs FTC

• coverage of EHF Champions League Women 2024/25 Match of the Week for round 5, as Metz Handball take on FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria at 18:00 CEST on Saturday 12 October
• also on Saturday: Storhamar beat Nykøbing 33:28, Podravaka defeat Gloria 29:25, and Krim Mercator Ljubljana play CSM Bucuresti
• check out the MOTW interview with Valeriia Maslova here
• read the round preview here and check the group standings
• all matches live on EHFTV (subscription and geo-restrictions apply)
• photos courtesy of Kevin Clement/Cedosa 380/Metz Handball

17:57

The players are warmed up, and the match will throw off very soon.

17:45

Just 15 minutes until MOTW throws off - make sure you're following our Instagram account for live updates!

Here's some of the key facts about the game.

• Metz won four out of the six encounters at home against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, most recently in February 2024, by 25:24; overall, FTC won 10 out of 20 clashes between the two
• FTC have the third-best attack of the competition with 123 goals scored — or 30.75 goals per game on average — while Metz are only short behind with 120 goals
• Metz' goalkeeper Zsófi Szemerey played for FTC from 2018 to 2020; FTC's right back Valeriia Maslova will also face her former teammates
• Sarah Bouktit (25 goals) and Chloé Valentini (24 goals) are the two best individuals for Metz
• Angela Malestein (21) and Daria Dmitrieva (19) are FTC's top scorers so far

17:40

Elsewhere today, Storhamar Handball Elite have just earned themelves their first win of the season, beating Nykøbing Falster Håndbold 33:28 in Denmark. And after scoring just seven goals in their first half against HC Podravka Vegeta, CS Gloria 2018 BN had a better second half but had left themselves too much to do. Podravka win 29:25, also securing their first victory of the group phase, in what ended up as a showdown between two outstanding Croatian goalkeepers, Ivana Kapitanovic (eight saves, 40 per cent efficiency for Gloria) and Lucija Bešen (12 saves, 36 per cent efficiency for Podravka).

17:35

Here's the squad for Metz today - a strong line-up!

17:28

This week's feature interview ahead of the Match of the Week saw EHF journalist Danijela Vekić catch up with FTC's Valeriia Maslova, who arrived in Budapest from a stellar season with Brest Bretagne Handball last year. Maslova knows Metz well - not only did she play against them last year in the domestic league, she used to play for them too. In fact, in 2022/23, Metz, featuring Maslova, were knocked out of the Champions League by FTC in the quarter-finals. 

Find out why victory is what matters now for Maslova as she makes her return to the Metz arena, but this time wearing green and white.

17:15

Welcome to our live blog for the Match of the Week for round 5 of the EHF Champions League Women, in which Metz Handball host FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria. Both sides are unbeaten so far this year - Metz with three wins and a draw, FTC with four wins - and either could take victory today. Stay with us for the build-up and all the highlights of the match to come.

To start with, here's the round preview.