MOTW LIVE BLOG: Odense keep the lead as Brest fight to stay close

• round 8 of the EHF Champions League Women 2024/25
• tied on 10 points, Brest Bretagne Handball and Odense Håndbold meet in the last MOTW this year, as the French powerhouse hope for a home win after last week’s defeat against the Danish side
• also on Sunday:
  • at 14:00 CET: Team Esbjerg win 26:19 against Buducnost and CSM Bucuresti suffer a 31:28 loss in Hungary after facing FTC Rail-Cargo Hungaria
  • at 16:00 CET: Rapid Bucuresti vs Györi Audi ETO KC
• all games are live on EHFTV (geo-restrictions may apply); check out the group standings here
• the round threw off with four matches on Saturday; read the review of yesterday’s games
• Iulia Burnei reporting on Sunday; photos courtesy of Brest Bretagne Handball

SUNDAY 17 NOVEMBER

15:57

Led by Ole Gjekstad for the second year in a row, Odense Håndbold have big ambitions this season after managing to reach the quarter-finals three times — most recently in 2023/24 — but failing to qualify for the EHF FINAL4 so far. In the head-to-head encounters, the Danish powerhouse won seven of the 11 duels against Brest and will start the MOTW as slight favourites.

The French hosts couldn’t get past the play-offs last season, but in the meantime they’ve strengthened their roster with top players such as Anna Vyakhireva and Clarisse Mairot — the latter is currently the best scorer for the team with 43 goals.

We can expect a tight clash today, as both teams look to end the year on a high and maintain the close battle for points in group B.

15:50

Ten minutes left on the clock and the teams have just concluded their warm-up and are getting ready to enter the court!

15:35

As we’re getting ready for the top clash of the round, Sunday’s action-packed schedule is already underway — earlier, Team Esbjerg and FTC Rail-Cargo Hungaria worked hard to secure victories, while the game between Rapid Bucuresti and reigning champions Györi Audi ETO KC is about to throw off at 16:00 CET.

Remember, all matches are available to watch on EHFTV (geo-blocking may apply). You can also follow our Facebook, Instagram and X channels to get access to exclusive videos.

15:23

Brest Bretagne Handball have gone through a lot of changes since last season, including on the bench, where Raphaëlle Tervel took the helm as head coach. Among the new arrivals in the squad is the 29-year-old star Anna Vyakhireva, who joined Brest Bretagne Handball in the summer and has quickly become a key asset for the French side. The right back had a wonderful 2023/24 season, finishing as top scorer of the competition with 113 goals. Now, she’s motivated to have an even better season with her new team. Read our latest feature from EHF journalist Adrian Costeiu.

15:10

Hello everyone and welcome to the last round of the year in the EHF Champions League Women 2024/25! The players and teams have their final clashes before the top-flight competition takes a break, ahead of the Women’s EHF EURO 2024.

The weekend started with four matches on Saturday, which saw Nykøbing Falster Håndboldklub take their first win of the season, while Podravka Vegeta claimed a last-second win against Storhamar Handball Elite. HB Ludwigsburg and Metz Handball also celebrated well-deserved victories, in a successful day for all home teams.

Today we focus our attention on the MOTW between Brest Bretagne Handball and Odense Håndbold, scheduled to start in less than an hour. Following their win last weekend, the Danish side travels to France determined to continue their strong streak, as the hosts are eager to put on a better performance this time.