Summary: Vipers become DELO EHF FINAL4 champions
It was amazing. The whole team fought the whole match and we just showed that we really wanted this trophy and I’m so glad that we made it in the end
20:35
The post-final Fan Show has just finished - but don't worry if you've missed it, you can catch up on Twitch, EHFTV or YouTube!
20:10
It's no surprise that Henny Reistad is named Most Valuable Player of the tournament after her performance this weekend - 10 goals yesterday, 12 today, and she's only 22! She's the first Best Young Player to also pick up the MVP award, which was presented by title sponsors DELO.
Meanwhile Ana Gros is confirmed as the top scorer of the season, netting 135 times.
19:42
Brest pick up their silver medals. It is a great result for what remains a relatively new club. The French side are also saying au revoir to several players, including Isabelle Gulldén who will join Vipers next season.
19:35
Lots of celebration for Vipers. Linn Sulland is retiring from professional handball and will do so with her second Champions League trophy, after winning with Larvik back in 2011. Other players are leaving, including the outstanding Henny Reistad, off to Team Esbjerg. Nora Mørk, Jana Knedlikova, Katrine Lunde and Heidi Løke as well as Sulland have all won the Champions League previously, but clearly this victory means a huge amount to the team even for these experienced players.
19:28 | FULL-TIME
BREST BRETAGNE HANDBALL 28:34 VIPERS KRISTIANSAND
Vipers are the DELO EHF FINAL4 2021 champions!
They took control early on and never let go, holding firm when Brest fought back. They've barely played a match at home but they have taken their first-ever Champions League title.
19:25
Henny Reistad is handed a suspension with just over two minutes left; Ana Gros scores the penalty, but it's 32:27 to Vipers and Brest have run out of time.
19:18
Brest are showing belief. A beauty of a goal by Isabelle Gulldén is followed by a successful Ana Gros penalty, awarded to Pauletta Foppa who earlier on scored a great shot off a Cleopatre Darleux save. Chris O'Reilly on commentary notes that Foppa is securing plenty of penalties for Brest, keeping them in the game. It's 24:28.
19:14
Another timeout by Brest. "It's possible," says Laurent Bezeau, speaking in French and English almost at the same time. His words are brief. Brest have six goals to make up and just over 11 minutes in which to do it.
19:06
"She just can't stop scoring," says the arena announcer, as Henny Reistad nets her eighth goal of the game, and unfortunately for Brest this is true. Vipers are now up 25:18 and looking comfortable and pacy.
This was her first shot in the second half.
19:00
Well, that was unusual. Katrine Lunde saves a penalty shot by Djurdjina Jaukovic, but on the rebound Hanna Yttereng fouls Jaukovic and Brest are promptly awarded another penalty. Ana Gros takes it and scores.
18:54
Brest's Kalidiatou Niakate starts things off with her first goal of the game. With Hanna Yttereng serving a suspension from the end of the first half, Brest have the power play advantage, although Ragnhild Dahl doesn't leave it long before she puts Vipers ahead by four once more.
Remember you can watch the match on EHFTV, although it may be geoblocked depending on your location.
18:48
Ana Gros is so essential to Brest - making it a four-goal gap before the break rather than five may yet prove crucial.
18:43 | HALF-TIME
BREST BRETAGNE HANDBALL 14:18 VIPERS KRISTIANSAND
EHF journalist Courtney Gahan sums up the first half:
"What a half from Vipers! The Norwegian side powered to a five-goal lead in just nine minutes and the situation immediately looked dangerous for the French side. A timeout from Brest coach Laurent Bezeau helped his team stop that momentum and start slowly decreasing the deficit, and we had a closer game on our hands for a short while — but Vipers have really reopened a more decisive lead as we go to the break.
"After both Cleopatre Darleux played an important role in her side reaching the final, Brest have not had a standout performance between the posts so far. Darleux was replaced by Sandra Toft in Brest’s goal after making one save in roughly 17 minutes on court, but the Danish keeper has added only one since.
"For Vipers, Henny Reistad has really stepped up once again, particularly in the strong opening from the Norwegian side, while more experienced stars such as Nora Mørk, Emilie Arntzen and Jana Knedlikova have also been important so far.
"Once again, Vipers’ fast counter attacks and restarts are serving them well, as Brest have had trouble stemming the flow of those goals. The Norwegian side’s defence has also improved as the clock has ticked on, with Lunde starting to save — a lot. On the other hand, Brest’s defence seems to have hit a stumbling block.
"Although four goals is far from insurmountable or Brest, Vipers will be feeling very confident at half-time. Defence is always the key in these matches, and that absolutely rings true here, as the main question seems to be whether Brest can improve this part of their game and find a way to control the increasingly in-rhythm Vipers."
18:30
Vipers' defence and attack are generally performing a little better than Brest's at the moment, and it's given them a 16:12 lead. Katrine Lunde saves a penalty by Isabelle Gulldén and keeps it that way.
18:25
A 3:0 run by Vipers have given them back the lead at 14:11, but the match is swinging both ways. There is clearly pressure, with even some of the most experienced players on court such as Isabelle Gulldén making small errors.
18:19
Here's Ana Gros, adding a few more goals to her score. The only female player to have scored more goals across an EHF Champions League season is Anita Görbicz, with 133 in 2011/12.
Brest are now back level with Vipers at 10:10!
18:14
Henny Reistad scored more goals than any other player yesterday (10) and with three in the first 10 minutes so far is on track to do so again today.
Brest have found a bit more efficiency in attack and have closed the gap to 6:9.
18:10
"You must run faster," Laurent Bezeau tells his players at their first timeout. Indeed, with Henny Reistad already running amok with three goals, Brest need to pick up the pace.
18:06
Just over five minutes in and five Vipers players have scored. An Isabelle Gulldén penalty makes it 2:5 but Brest are on the back foot.
18:02
Two swift attacks by Vipers give them a 2:0 lead, with Heidi Løke scoring first.
18:00
Here. We. Go!
17:50
Laurent Bezeau says his team needs to counter the Vipers' fast attacks and not lose the ball. He adds it will be an odd experience - again, several team members including himself are set to leave the club at the end of the season.
Ole Gustav Gjekstad coached Larvik to their EHF Champions League title in 2011 so he knows what is needed to win, but he seems to be focusing very much on the here and now as the teams prepare to take to the court.
Here are the squads!
17:37
We've been polling our Twitter followers all afternoon on who they think will win the final, and so far it's Brest with 57 per cent of the votes. Yesterday's polls correctly predicted both results, so it'll be interesting to see if our followers are right again!
Vipers look pretty relaxed, though.
17:25
Ahead of the final, Courtney Gahan is back with some more pre-match thoughts.
"I love a brand new title winner! Today, we will get to see one team celebrate their first ever trophy in the DELO EHF Champions League, and we can be sure that will be a magical moment to witness.
"So will it be Brest of Vipers? Both teams have shown huge mettle to reach this final — not only in yesterday’s semi-finals, but throughout the season. Vipers made it through an especially mentally challenging season to reach their second DELO EHF FINAL4, but were rewarded yesterday with having less of a battle in their semi-final. The Norwegian side were extremely impressive, hardly allowing CSKA to feel any hope past the 20th minute, as they delivered on the exact game plan expected by both sides — fast with plenty of counter attacks and quick restarts.
"Unfortunately for the French side, it is very likely that Vipers will enter this game with more energy, as they played ‘only’ 60 minutes and were comfortably in control throughout their semi-final while Brest had far more of a challenge, plus extra time and penalties – although Brest played the earlier match on Saturday, so they will have had a couple more hours of rest.
"One key question is what Brest will do in goal. Yesterday, the somewhat surprising decision to start with Cleopatre Darleux instead of the notoriously decisive Sandra Toft proved absolutely right, as Darleux was very important in Brest finding their game after a nervous opening. Toft played her role towards the end of the match, and we have to wonder whether coach Laurent Bezeau was saving the Danish keeper as an ace up his sleeve for today or whether we will see Darleux starting again.
"Meanwhile, Brest right back Ana Gros is set to leave Budapest with at least the top scorer crown. The Slovenian sharpshooter has notched up 127 goals this season and is the clear leader, so anyone passing her is essentially impossible, but we cannot state this as fact until the final buzzer.
"If Gros can also help Brest clinch the trophy, it will be her first DELO EHF Champions League title — and the first for the majority of her teammates. Only Isabelle Gulldén has raised the trophy before, while Sandra Toft played and lost the final with Larvik in 2015. Djurdjina Jaukovic is the only other Brest player to have participated in an EHF FINAL4, losing the semi-final with Buducnost twice.
"If Brest win, they will be the first French side to clinch the women’s Champions League trophy, and it will cap a hugely successful season for the country’s club teams after Nantes took the European League Women trophy earlier in May. If Vipers are the victors, they will be the second Norwegian team to raise the trophy after Larvik in 2010/11.
"In that Larvik team were three current Vipers players: Nora Mørk, Heidi Løke and Linn Jorum Sulland. Alongside Katrine Lunde and Jana Knedlikova, they are the only previous title winners in the Vipers lineup. For Mørk, Lunde and Løke, today could mark their fifth Champions League title win with a third different club."
15:54 | HALF-TIME
Györi Audi ETO KC 18:8 CSKA
After a dominant first half from the record champions, here's some thoughts from EHF journalist Courtney Gahan:
"We are seeing a more familiar Györ today! The five-time winners are proving nothing short of unstoppable for CSKA so far, and there are two main elements that catch attention in comparison with the semi-final against Brest: turnovers and goalkeeping.
"In the first half against Brest, Györ seemed to feel the pressure even more than the DELO EHF FINAL4 debutants from France, with six turnovers in the opening 30 minutes. Today, they have made only two as we go to the break.
"Looking to the goal, in yesterday’s semi-final, Amandine Leynaud did not find her game as well as we have seen her in past crunch matches, saving at 21 per cent in the first half. It was the entry of Silje Solberg that turned the game against Brest around for Györ, after they trailed by three goals at half-time. It is therefore of little surprise that coach Ambros Martin decided to start with Solberg today, and she has proven the choice right with a 50 per cent save rate after 15 minutes and 42 per cent at half-time.
"Györ are finding plenty of ways to break through CSKA’s defence, and the result is the clearest difference between the sides at half-time out of all their mutual clashes so far (previously 14:14 in Russia and 14:13 in Hungary). It is also a record-equalling half-time result at the DELO EHF FINAL4, after Györ themselves had a 10-goal advantage against Vipers in the 2019 semi-final.
"It seems Györ are well on their way to third place here at the DELO EHF FINAL4 2021 — which would be their first time finishing with this position — but let’s see what solutions CSKA coach Olga Akopian can come up with during the break."
15:50
A big loss for CSKA early in the season was the injury of their 19-year-old left back Elena Mikhaylichenko, who burst on to the DELO EHF Champions League scene after transferring from Lada in the summer. She played five group phase matches before injuring her knee - but she seems to be recovered, and scored her first open field goal a bit earlier, going through Silje Solberg's legs in a beautiful shot.
15:46
Anita Görbicz scores her first goal after a few missed opportunities and heads off for a rest with a big smile on her face.
15:45
Silje Solberg is proving very effective today, saving five out of 12 shots so far (41.7 per cent). Here's one of her best.
Györ now lead 13:8.
15:35
Estelle Nze Minko has made several breaks after stealing the ball from CSKA and although not all have gone in the net, it's taken the French player up to three goals so far as Györ lead 11:4.
15:30
CSKA checked Györ's run a little and held the score at 6:3 for the last couple of minutes; Ekaterina Ilina scoring her team's first open field goal. However Györ have broken free once more and re-established a five-goal lead at 8:3 thanks to Kari Brattset and Estelle Nze Minko.
15:20
Wow. Györ have stormed into a 5:1 lead after less than six minutes. CSKA coach Olga Akopian has called a timeout. At the moment her team can't keep up with Györ's pace and the CSKA defence is struggling to contain the Hungarian club's attacks.
15:17
That was quick - Stine Oftedal scored twice in the first minute and Györ have the perfect start.
15:15
Throw-off!
Here are today's squads.
15:10
It's nearly time for throw-off!
14:55
EHFTV coverage of the 3/4 placement match is about to begin and the teams will be well warmed-up.
14:40
On the Fan Show Anja Althaus and Markus Floth are recognising Anita Görbicz's achievements with cardboard crowns in honour of the queen of handball. A reminder of her amazing statistics - 1,013 goals in the EHF Champions League, and 185 matches. Doubtless she will notch up a few more goals tonight.
14:25
Here's EHF journalist Courtney Gahan with some thoughts on the 3/4 placement match.
"The final day of the DELO EHF Champions League 2020/21 gets underway with Györ and CSKA aiming to recover from their disappointment in losing Saturday’s semi-finals and attempt to finish the season on a high note.
"In such a situation, usually it is hard for the teams to find the same fire they had for the semi-finals, but we may see a highly motivated Györ due to two big reasons: Anita Görbicz and Eduarda Amorim. For the two ETO stalwarts, it will be the final Champions League match in the Györ jersey — Görbicz’s illustrious career in the top flight will come to an end with the final buzzer, while Amorim will move to Rostov-Don for next season.
"Görbicz has played for Györ since 1997 and scored over 1,000 goals in the Champions League. Amorim joined the Hungarian powerhouse in 2009. Both have been with the team for all five title wins. Plenty of other stars have come and gone, but Görbicz and Amorim are synonymous with the club, so whether you are a Györ supporter or not, it is impossible not to acknowledge the huge contribution of these two to our enjoyment of the Champions League over the years."
"Györ will be looking to start another unbeaten streak with a victory today, after their 55-game run of no Champions League losses came to an end in yesterday’s semi-final against Brest. It was also the first loss in a DELO EHF FINAL4 semi-final for the Hungarian club, who had reached the final on all five participations prior to this current edition. Plus, it was the second time out of two penalty shoot-outs lost by Györ at the DELO EHF FINAL4.
"No doubt Györ do not like to be associated with any such statistics, and, if for no other reason than to send Amorim and Görbicz off with a positive memory, we can probably expect to see a highly motivated ETO take the court.
"And what about CSKA? The Russian club, playing their very first DELO EHF Champions League season, must still count this DELO EHF FINAL4 participation as a success. The fact they have the chance to take their first win against Györ, following one draw and one defeat in the previous two encounters between the sides — both occurring this season — will surely help the Russian team find some serious motivation. After all, everybody likes to beat Györ."
14:00
Right, not long to go now until today's action throws off - we start with the 3/4 placement match coming up at 15:15, with Györ and CSKA both hoping for a winning end to the season. The Fan Show is now live on Twitch, EHFTV and YouTube!
12:00
We're taking a break now until 14:00 CEST, when we'll bring you all the build-up to the matches. In the meantime, enjoy the trailer for today's action!
11:45
This is a nice gesture! The French under-21 football team are also in Budapest playing in the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and they have sent Brest Bretagne a jersey from their hometown football club, Stade Brestois 29, signed by all the team.
11:35
Did you miss last night's post-match Fan Show on Twitch? Just click here to watch (it's also on EHFTV and YouTube).
Anja Althaus, Markus Floth and Chris O'Reilly will be back at 14:00 CEST to preview the 3/4 placement match and the final, and will be live again at 20:00 CEST with a wrap-up after the champions have been crowned. Set a reminder now!
11:15
Welcome to finals day at the DELO EHF FINAL4 2021!
At 18:00 CEST Brest Bretagne and Vipers will take to the court, both hoping to win their first ever DELO EHF Champions League title. Six players - Vipers' Nora Mørk, Jana Knedlikova, Katrine Lunde, Heidi Løke and Linn Jorum Sulland, and Brest's Isabelle Gulldén - have all won the title before with different clubs and if Vipers win, Mørk, Lunde and Løke will be lifting the trophy for the fifth time.
Find out more about the clash ahead in our preview.
15:05
Here are the squads for the first match. Both teams have pretty full squads to draw on, full of star names.
14:55
Who will win the first semi-final? Vote now in our Twitter poll ...
14:45
Here's a reminder of the broadcasters across Europe showing the DELO EHF FINAL4. If you live in a country not listed below, you can watch all the games live on EHFTV, with coverage starting at 14:55 CEST ahead of the 15:15 CEST throw-off.
14:30
EHF journalist Courtney Gahan has sent in her thoughts on the first semi-final. It is not impossible that this one will end in extra-time, which would be pretty exciting!
"After draws between Györ and Brest in three of their last four mutual clashes — the other of which ended in just a one-goal win for the Hungarian side — we are sure to see the semi-finals open with a fiery 60 minutes… or more.
"This recent history has been a big topic of discussion leading up to the DELO EHF FINAL4. Last week, when the HomeofHandball Twitch channel launched with the first DELO EHF FINAL4 show hosted by EHFTV commentator Chris O’Reilly, we heard from Estelle Nze Minko and Djurdjina Jaukovic — and the opinions on what those past draws mean for this semi-final were very different.
"Although confident in Györ’s chances, Nze Minko found that the fact there were two draws between the sides this season meant that Brest must surely be viewing her team as beatable. On the other hand, Jaukovic said that Brest saw these draws as a big success rather than an indication of anything further.
"But do not doubt Brest’s confidence coming into this match. If anything, it seems the French team prefer to label themselves the underdogs so they play without pressure, but they are quietly assured.
"Györ coach Ambros Martin said in yesterday’s media call that his extensive experience at the DELO EHF FINAL4 has shown him that the past means absolutely nothing. So perhaps these draws do not tell us anything about what is to come, but it’s more fun to think they mean we are sure to see a close and possibly extra time battle, isn’t it?!"
14:25
Two players to keep an eye on in the first semi-final are Györ's Stine Oftedal and Brest's Isabelle Gulldén - two stars of the game, both in great form. Oftedal was named All-star centre back this year and is one of her team's top scorers this season, and has two DELO EHF Champions League titles already. Gulldén won the title in 2016 with CSM Bucharest, scoring a memorable 15 goals in the final - can she spur Brest on to their first win this year?
14:10
There's just over an hour until throw-off and things are building up - the Fan Show is live right now.
The last of the Bubble Buddies clips is also now up. Find out who knows most about each other when Vipers' Jana Knedlikova and Vilde Jonassen face the questions.
12:00
We're taking a break now until 14:00 CEST when we'll be back with the last bit of build-up ahead of the first match at 15:15 CEST. Before then, watch the second Breakfast for Champions (Anja Althaus and Markus Floth will definitely have drunk plenty of coffee today) with CSKA's Sabina Jacobsen and Vipers' Heidi Løke.
And set a reminder for 14:00 CEST, when the Remote Fan Show will be live on Twitch and EHFTV to preview the semi-finals!
11:45
We've been quizzing players from all the teams in our 'bubble buddies' series - this time it's the turn of Brest's Bella Gulldén and Coralie Lassource, answering key questions such as which songs they sing in the shower and their dream jobs as children.
11:35
The teams are also busy building up the matches and showing some glimpses of life behind the scenes in Budapest - here's a few snaps from CSKA's morning stroll. They seem to be pretty relaxed ahead of their first-ever DELO EHF FINAl4.
11:25
Already today there's plenty of new content on our official EHF Champions League social media channels, starting with Breakfast for Champions. Anja Althaus began her day by chatting to Györ's Anne Mette Hansen and her Danish compatriot Sandra Toft of Brest Bretagne Handball to find out how they are feeling ahead of the big game later on.
Watch the whole chat here!
11:10
Semi-final day is here! In just a few hours the action will get underway and we will find out who will fight for the trophy in tomorrow’s final.
The four teams in Budapest have vastly different histories with the DELO EHF FINAL4, and EHF journalist Courtney Gahan has examined how their prior experience might influence today's results:
"Let’s take a quick look at one element that could be key today: experience on the biggest stage.
"Györ are the only team at the DELO EHF FINAL4 to have won the trophy before. No other team in Budapest has reached the final before, with Vipers having clinched third on their maiden participation in 2019. For Brest and CSKA, reaching the semi-finals is a club record, but neither of these ambitious sides are satisfied with that.
"We have seen in the past that experience at the DELO EHF FINAL4 can be key. Sure, CSM Bucuresti took the title in 2016 in their maiden season in the top flight, but no other side has repeated that feat since. Rostov-Don, Metz Handball and Vipers all lost the semi-finals at their first DELO EHF FINAL4. It will be interesting to see what kind of factor this experience is this weekend."
17:30
Don't forget to head over to Twitch in just 30 minutes for the first episode of the Remote FAN SHOW, live from Budapest! Markus Floth is hosting and there'll be plenty of guests to talk you through the weekend to come, as well as the All-star Team announcement! It goes live at 18:00 CEST, and you can also watch the show later on EHFTV.
