EHF Champions League Women starts 2025 with a bang
The EHF Champions League Women 2024/25 returns this weekend, bringing the thrills back to the court after an unforgettable Women's EHF EURO 2024.
It's no secret that this match is important for us to hold on to the dream of advancement from the main round. We always believe in ourselves, and I think we have shown many strong performances throughout the season. And we are looking for even more victories in the new year.
We know we are facing a very strong opponent, but we have prepared intensely for this moment. The Champions League is all about giving your absolute best and our team is ready to fight until the very last second. We trust in our collective strength and our strategy. We will step onto the court with determination, passion and the desire to proudly represent our colours. Thank you to our supporters for always being our driving force on the court.
We must be prepared for tough duels both in defence and attack. There have been very even matches. As a team, we have managed to stand together, keep calm and be good in the decisive situations in such even matches.
Very happy to be hosting CSM Bucuresti. Matches between Metz and CSM are always intense, always enjoyable, always very close with different winners and scenarios from one match to the next. It's going to be a great party in les Arènes on Sunday.
We know it will be a difficult match. Brest has a very strong team, as we saw also at our match at Polyvalent Hall in Bucharest. But we are going to Brest with ambition and with a positive mentality, to win two points.
It's a big game for us on Saturday. We remember that the first leg was very difficult. We need to stay serious. They're going to be a tough team and they're going to want to prove that their defeat in the first leg was a mistake. For our part, we're going to keep working, looking at the video to see what worked and what didn't, and doing everything we can to win the match in the end. We're at home in front of our fans and it's great to have them back.
I expect that by the end of the group stage, we will play better than we did in the first part of the season. I believe that the hard work we’ve put in recently will pay off. Vipers have a team with experienced players and big stars, as well as young players who are the future. They are a serious opponent, and we are expecting a tough match.
We have to go there and get two points. It’s as simple as that, and that’s what we want. We have to be prepared, and we have to fight like crazy. We know it’s going to be extremely tough. The preparation is key, and we have to make the most of the little time we have to prepare.
It is going to be great playing in the Champions League again. It has been a while, but it is a fantastic match and hopefully with a lot of spectators. After such a long break away from the tournament, the level of play can be a bit off, but we as a team are still in a process of coming back to the same level.
It was a really hard game at home, because I think we didn't show the level what we are right now. So we need to raise up our level there, because I think it will be even harder. Our defence also needs to step up, because they have really good players in one-against-one, so we need to focus on that. They run also a lot. I think we need to show ourselves more and be hard in defence and attack as well. So I think it will be really hard, but I believe in us — that we can do much better than in the last game. We need to be more focused also in our shots. We cannot miss that much. I know also the other team has really good goalkeepers, but I believe we can do better. And yes, I believe our team was just in a bad period and I hope it will be better.