What teams need in last round of group phase

The spotlights in group A are on Odense Håndbold and CSM Bucuresti, who meet each other in the Match of the Week with the second quarter-final spot – alongside group winners Györi Audi ETO KC – at stake. The loser of that match will join Brest Bretagne Handball, DVSC Schaeffler, and SG BBM Bietigheim into the play-offs.

The situation in group B is much tighter, as both top-two positions and thus both quarter-final berths are still open, with Metz Handball, Team Esbjerg, and Ikast Handbold in the race. And lower down the standings, three teams are still in the running for the two remaining play-off tickets: Krim Mercator Ljubljana, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, and Rapid Bucuresti.

Here are the calculations for all possible scenarios in round 14:

GROUP A

Györi Audi ETO KC have finished first and go to the quarter-finals

Odense Håndbold
- will finish second and go the quarter-finals:
* if they do not lose against CSM Bucuresti
- will finish third and go the play-offs:
* if they lose against CSM Bucuresti

CSM Bucuresti
- will finish second and go the quarter-finals:
* if they beat Odense Håndbold
- will finish third or fourth and go the play-offs:
* if they do not beat Odense Håndbold

Brest Bretagne Handball will finish fourth or third and go to the play-offs

DVSC Schaeffler will finish fifth or sixth and go to the play-offs

SG BBM Bietigheim will finish sixth or fifth and go to the play-offs

WHC Buducnost have finished seventh

IK Sävehof have finished eighth

GROUP B

Metz Handball:
- will finish first and go to the quarter-finals:
* if they beat FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria
* if they draw with FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria AND Team Esbjerg do not beat Rapid Bucuresti AND Ikast Handbold do not beat Vipers Kristiansand
* if they lose against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria AND Team Esbjerg lose against Rapid Bucuresti AND Ikast Handbold lose against Vipers Kristiansand
- will finish second and go to the quarter-finals:
* if they draw with FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria AND Team Esbjerg beat Rapid Bucuresti OR Ikast Handbold beat Vipers Kristiansand
* they lose against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria AND Team Esbjerg do not lose against Rapid Bucuresti OR Ikast Handbold do not lose against Vipers
- will finish third and go to the play-offs:
* if they draw with FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria AND Team Esbjerg do not lose against Rapid Bucuresti AND Ikast Handbold beat Vipers Kristiansand
* if they lose against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria AND Team Esbjerg do not lose against Rapid Bucuresti AND Ikast Handbold do not lose against Vipers Kristiansand

Team Esbjerg:
- will finish first and go the quarter-finals:
* if they beat Rapid Bucuresti AND Metz Handball do not beat FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria
* if they draw with Rapid Bucuresti AND Metz Handball lose against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria
* if they draw with Rapid Bucuresti AND Metz Handball draw with FTC-Rail Cargo AND Ikast Handball beat Vipers
* if they lose against Rapid Bucuresti AND Metz Handball lose against FTC-Rail Cargo AND Ikast Handball draw with Vipers Kristiansand
- will finish second and go the quarter-finals:
* if they beat Rapid Bucuresti AND Metz Handball beat FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria
* if they draw with Rapid Bucuresti AND Metz Handball do not lose against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria
* if they lose against Rapid Bucuresti AND Metz Handball do not lose against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria AND Ikast Handbold do not beat Vipers Kristiansand
- will finish third and go the play-offs:
* if they lose against Rapid Bucuresti AND Metz Handball do not lose against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria AND Ikast Handbold beat Vipers Kristiansand

Ikast Handbold:
- will finish first and go the quarter-finals:
* if they beat Vipers Kristiansand AND Metz Handball do not beat FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria AND Team Esbjerg lose against Rapid Bucuresti
- will finish second and go the quarter-finals:
* if they beat Vipers Kristiansand AND Metz Handball lose against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria AND Team Esbjerg do not lose against Rapid Bucuresti
* if they beat Vipers Kristiansand AND Metz Handball draw with FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria AND Team Esbjerg draw with Rapid Bucuresti
* if they draw with Vipers Kristiansand AND Metz Handball lose against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria AND Team Esbjerg lose against Rapid Bucuresti
- will finish third and go the play-offs:
* if they beat Vipers Kristiansand AND Metz Handball beat FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria AND Team Esbjerg do not lose against Rapid Bucuresti
* if they draw with Vipers Kristiansand AND Metz Handball do not lose against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria
* if they lose against Vipers Kristiansand

Vipers Kristiansand have finished fourth and go to the play-offs

Krim Mercator Ljubljana
- will finish fifth and go to the play-offs:
* if they do not lose against MKS Zaglebie Lubin
* if they lose against MKS Zaglebie Lubin AND FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria draw with Metz Handball
* if they lose against MKS Zaglebie Lubin AND FTC-Rail Cargo lose against Metz Handball AND Rapid Bucuresti do not beat Team Esbjerg
- will finish sixth and go to the play-offs:
* if they lose against MKS Zaglebie Lubin and FTC-Rail Cargo beat Metz Handball AND Rapid Bucuresti do not beat Team Esbjerg
* if they lose against MKS Zaglebie Lubin and FTC-Rail Cargo lose against Metz Handball AND Rapid Bucuresti beat Team Esbjerg
- will finish seventh:
* if they lose against MKS Zaglebie Lubin AND FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria beat Metz Handball AND Rapid Bucuresti beat Team Esbjerg

FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria
- will finish fifth and go to the play-offs:
* if they beat Metz Handball AND Krim Mercator Ljubljana lose against MKS Zaglebie Lubin
- will finish sixth and go to the play-offs:
* if they do not lose against Metz Handball AND Krim Mercator do not lose against MKS Zaglebie Lubin
* if they lose against Metz Handball AND Rapid Bucuresti do not beat Team Esbjerg
- will finish seventh:
* if they draw with Metz Handball AND Krim Merctor Ljubljana lose against MKS Zaglebie Lubin AND Rapid Bucuresti beat Team Esbjerg
* if they lose against Metz Handball AND Rapid Bucuresi beat Team Esbjerg

Rapid Bucuresti
- will finish fifth and go the play-offs:
* if they beat Team Esbjerg AND Krim Mercator Ljublana lose against MKS Zaglebie Lubin AND FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria lose against Metz Handball
- will finish sixth and go to the play-offs:
* if they beat Team Esbjerg AND Krim Mercator Ljubljana do not lose against MKS Zaglebie Lubin AND FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria lose against Metz Handball
* if they beat Team Esbjerg AND Krim Mercator Ljubljana lose against MKS Zaglebie Lubin AND FTC-Rail Cargo draw with Metz Handball
- will finish seventh:
* if they beat Team Esbjerg AND Krim Mercator Ljubljana do not lose against MKS Zaglebie Lubin AND FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria do not lose against Metz Handball
* if they do not beat Team Esbjerg

MKS Zaglebie Lubin have finished eighth

To clarify the calculations in group B: here are two three-team ties possible. The direct duels between the teams involved and the respective mini tables to determine the final standings in case those teams do finish on level points after round 14, are as follows:

> Metz Handball on 20 points, Team Esbjerg on 20, Ikast Handbold on 19

Head-to-heads:
- Metz vs Esbjerg 2:2 (27:29, 36:31)
- Metz vs Ikast 0:4 (36:39, 34:35)
- Esbjerg vs Ikast 4:0 (35:34, 37:34)

Mini table:
1. Esbjerg – 6 points
2. Ikast – 4 points
3. Metz – 2 points

> Krim Mercator Ljubljana on 11 points, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria on 10, Rapid Bucuresti on 9

Head-to-heads:
- Krim vs FTC 4:0 (32:26, 28:26)
- Krim vs Rapid 2:2 (22:27, 25:24)
- FTC vs Rapid 3:1 (24:24, 23:20)

Mini table:
1. Krim – 6 points
2. Rapid – 3 points (+1 goal difference)
3. FTC – 3 points (-5 goal difference)

photo © 2024 Cédric Cedosa