Group phase heads into thrilling finish

In group A, the Match of the Week between Odense Håndbold and CSM Bucuresti decide who will join Györi Audi ETO KC in the quarter-finals directly. In group B, three teams – Metz Handball, Team Esbjerg, and Ikast Handbold – are going to battle it out for the top two positions, while one team of the trio Krim Mercator Ljubljana, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, and Rapid Bucuresti will fail to make it into the play-offs.

Click here to see the exact calculations of what each team need in round 14.

GROUP A

SG BBM Bietigheim (GER) vs WHC Buducnost BEMAX (MNE)
Saturday 17 February, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• Buducnost will aim to finish their campaign on a high, after missing the play-offs for the second time in the last three seasons
• the Montenegrin side’s main issue was their attack, the only one not to score 300 goals so far – 295, at least 13 less than the other teams
• hosts Bietigheim have lost four of the last five matches and dropped to the sixth place, one point behind DVSC, as they will finish either fifth or sixth
• the German side have made the play-offs for the second time in the club’s history; in 2020/21 season, they were swiftly eliminated by Györ
• Bietigheim have won twice in five matches against Buducnost, as they now hold the chance to tie the head-to-head balance with another win

Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN) vs Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA)
Saturday 17 February, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• Györ could lose three consecutive matches for the first time since 2006
• the Hungarian side had already clinched the first place in the group after round 10
• Brest still eye third place, as they are just one point behind third-ranked CSM
• Györ have conceded the fewest goals, 324; Brest also excel in defence with 335 goals conceded
• Brest right back Valeriia Maslova is fifth in the top scorer standings with 77 goals, 10 behind leader Markéta Jeřábková
• the teams have a history of close matches: Györ won five times and Brest once, but there have also been four draws between the two

MOTW: Odense Håndbold (DEN) vs CSM Bucuresti (ROU)
Sunday 18 February, 14:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• CSM need a win to secure the second place in the group and go to the quarter-finals directly; for Odense, a draw would be enough
• Odense have the third-best attack in the competition with 432 goals scored, and the second best defence with 334 goals conceded scored, only 10 more than Györ
• Romanian left back Cristina Neagu in on 1,094 goals and can become the second player to hit the 1,100-goal milestone in the EHF Champions League, after Jovanka Radicevic
• a win would see CSM progress to the quarter-finals for the ninth season in a row; Odense can make it for the third time after 2018/19 and 2022/23
• Odense have conceded three losses in three matches against CSM, including 28:24 in the reverse fixture on the opening weekend

IK Sävehof (SWE) vs DVSC Schaeffler (HUN)
Sunday 18 February, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• in their last match of the season, Sävehof aim to avoid tying the worst losing streak in the history of the competition: 18 matches, set by Kastamonu
• the Swedish side has conceded 434 goals, the joint largest number in this season with Polish side Lubin in group B
• Sävehof goalkeeper Johanna Bundsen has made the second largest number of saves in the competition: 127, for a 28.4 per cent save rate
• in their second EHF Champions League season, DVSC have secured a play-offs spot after winning three of the last four matches
• DVSC have won six matches this season, more than Sävehof in their last three seasons in the competition

GROUP B

Metz Handball (FRA) vs FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN)
Saturday 17 February, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• it is a crucial game for both teams – Metz have a quarter-final spot at stake, while last season’s runners-up FTC eye a place in the play-offs
• the French side have two players among the top three top scorers: Sarah Bouktit (83 goals) and Kristina Jørgensen (78); Katrin Klujber leads the way for FTC with 74
• Metz have scored the most goals in the competition: 445 goals at 65.7 per cent efficiency; their goalkeeper Hatadou Sako has a competition-leading 145 saves (35.45 per cent)
• both teams are coming off defeats: Metz lost after nine unbeaten games against Ikast; FTC went down against Vipers
• this will be their 20th encounter in European competitions; the first match this season clearly went Metz’s way, 38:25

Krim Mercator Ljubljana (SLO) vs MKS Zaglebie Lubin (POL)
Saturday 17 February, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• not losing against already eliminated Lubin would secure fifth place and a spot in the play-offs for Krim
• Dragan Adzic’s team have lost the last two games; Lubin have lost all 13 matches so far
• one of the least effective attacks of the competition (Lubin) will have a tough task against the best defence of the group (Krim)
• Daria Dmitrieva is Krim’s best scorer with 59 goals; Karolina Kochaniak-Sala lead for Lubin with 52
• in round 1, their only duel so far, Krim conceded only 18 goals in their commanding 36:18 win

Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) vs Ikast Handbold (DEN)
Saturday 17 February, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• Vipers have finished fourth and go to the play-offs no matter the result, while Ikast can still make the quarter-finals directly
• both teams are looking to prolong their four-game winning streak – Vipers haven’t lost since being beaten by Metz in the beginning of January; Ikast’s last defeat came in November against Esbjerg
• Ikast’s Markéta Jeřábková, the current top scorer with 87 goals, will face her former teammates from Vipers
• Viper’s Anna Vyahkireva and Jana Knedlikova are among the best shooters as well, with 78 and 76 goals, respectively
• Ikast won the reverse fixture in Denmark 30:26 at the start of the season in September

CS Rapid Bucuresti (ROU) vs Team Esbjerg (DEN)
Sunday 18 February, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• seventh-ranked Rapid can still reach the play-offs, but need other results to go their way as well, as even a win would not guarantee them a knockout berth
• Esbjerg can advance to the quarter-finals for the third straight season and for the fourth time in the club’s history
• winning against Lubin in round 13 ended Rapid’s five-game losing streak; Esbjerg went back on track last week by beating Krim
• Rapid have the second-best defence of the group, and Esbjerg the third-best attack
• Esbjerg narrowly won the first meeting between the teams this season: 30:28

main images © 2024 Lau Nielsen; nhcfoto.dk