Odense secure third place with big win over Most
Odense Håndbold secured third place in group A with their eighth win of the season, after another lopsided win against DHK Banik Most, 37:19.
GROUP A
DHK Banik Most (CZE) vs Odense Håndbold (DEN) 19:37 (10:16)
- the Danish side had little trouble against Most and will now face the sixth-placed side in Group B, Storhamar Handball Elite, in the play-offs, with a place in the quarter-finals on the line
- Odense made the play-offs for the third season in a row, trying to replicate the best-ever performance in the EHF Champions League Women, featuring in the quarter-finals, which they made in the 2018/19 season
- this was the second-largest win in history for Odense, only one goal shy of the record set against Most in the first game between the two sides, 41:22, a 19-goal win
- DHK Banik Most have now tied the worst-ever losing streak in the history of the European premium competition, set by Krim Mercator Ljubljana between November 2014 and October 2016
- Odense have also tied their best-ever season in history in the European premium competition, having previously won eight games last season, when they were eliminated in the play-offs
Odense eye best-ever performance in the European premium competition
DHK Banik Most's learning curve has been steep this season in the EHF Champions League Women and the Czech side could only stay close to Odense for 20 minutes, as they traded goals until Odense pushed the pedal and never looked back. Once again, Most's defense was porous, conceding 37 goals, bringing their season average to 40.8 goals conceded per game.
Odense broke a two-game losing streak with their eighth win of the season being enough to help them clinch third place. This makes them favorites to reach the quarter-finals, as they will face rookies, Storhamar Handball Elite in the play-offs.
Odense have navigated a hugely challenging season with plenty of injuries, that even saw center back, Nycke Groot come out of retirement to help the team. Odense now have most of their injured players back and will have time to prepare for their doubleheader matchup vs Storhamar. A win there would tie their best previous performance in the history of the competition, a quarter-finals berth.
We knew that we were favorites before this match, but we had some weaker moments in the game. I'm glad for victory as we stay on third place in our group
I'm glad that we gave a chance to all the players from the bench, even the younger ones, as it was their first ever Champions League experience. We also had better defence than in previous matches, so we are satisfied with that.
