Odense shine in MOTW, Esbjerg get convincing win

• Esbjerg took the first step towards their sixth quarter-final appearance, after beating Podravka in the first leg of the play-offs — it was their third win against the Croatian side in the top flight
• the competition's top scorer, Henny Reistad, led the Danish side once again with 11 goals, bringing her overall tally this season to 110
• Odense had no trouble in Hungary, claiming their 10th win of the 2025/26 campaign with a 37:32 victory over DVSC — the fourth time this season they have scored 37 times or more, underlining their status of the second-most efficient attack
• Odense hold the upper hand ahead of the rematch, as they eye their third progression from the play-offs and fifth quarter-final appearance overall
• Dutch goalkeeper Yara Ten Holte proved crucial for Odense, making 21 saves at 39.6 per cent efficiency and earning the Player of the Match award

PLAY-OFFS, FIRST LEG

HC Podravka (CRO) vs Team Esbjerg (DEN) 26:37 (13:19)

H2H: 0-0-3
Top scorers: Matea Pletikosić 6/8 (HC Podravka); Henny Reistad 11/13 (Team Esbjerg)

Team Esbjerg have only been eliminated once in the play-offs, and they showed in Koprivnica on Saturday that they have no intention of repeating it. Podravka seemed inspired on home court in the opening minutes of the duel, but a clear difference between the two sides came to light midway through the first half. After a brief Podravka lead at 4:3, Esbjerg built on their opponents' hasty attacks and set a three-goal advantage (10:7), laying the foundation for what followed. Despite their efforts, Podravka soon fell behind, making mistake after mistake and, even when their attack broke through, Anna Kristensen stepped up with key saves — boasting 35 per cent at half-time. By the 24th minute, Esbjerg had opened a six-goal lead, which they maintained until the break.

Esbjerg pushed the lead to nine within the first eight minutes of the second half, but later in the game Matea Pletikosić became Podravka's main engine, as the Croatian side mounted a small comeback, narrowing the gap to 24:28 with 10 minutes left on the clock. However, they couldn't withstand the pressure in the closing stages, going scoreless for the next five minutes, which allowed Esbjerg to seal a comfortable win, with 13 of their 14 outfield players finding the net at least once.

MOTW: DVSC Schaeffler (HUN) vs Odense Håndbold (DEN) 32:37 (13:18)

H2H: 0-0-3
Top scorers: Ines Ivancok-Soltic 5/5 (DVSC Schaeffler); Helene Fauske 8/10 (Odense Håndbold)
POTM: Yara Ten Holte (Odense Håndbold)

Goalkeepers Jessica Ryde and Yara Ten Holte were in the spotlight at the start of the match, keeping the score at 1:1 after six minutes. Once the attacking lines found their rhythm, it was Odense who spurred a run to take an early 5:2 lead. Ines Ivancok-Soltic kept DVSC within reach, but when their defence came to a halt, Odense struck again — producing another goal run and opening a five-goal gap between the 23rd and 28th minute.

The second half brought no change in the balance of power. Odense continued to pounce and showed their strength as, despite having only 10 outfield players, they kept the game under control with Helene Fauske, Ragnhild Valle Dahl and Thale Rushfeldt Deila leading the charge. DVSC, also dealing with some injuries, struggled in attack as even their usual top scorer Alicia Toublanc had to wait until the 43rd minute to score her first. Odense's biggest lead was nine goals on a few occasions, while DVSC took advantage of their opponents' slight drop in concentration in the final 10 minutes, and with improved defensive reactions, narrowed the gap to five and improved their chances ahead of the return leg.

Main photo © Istvan Derencsenyi