Last chance for EHF Finals — return quarter-finals await

Defending champions Thüringer HC aim to defend a four-goal lead at home against Nykøbing Falster Håndbold, while Viborg HK, JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball and MOL Esztergom all boast double-digit advantages against their respective opponents ahead of their return legs.

QUARTER-FINALS, LEG 2

CS Rapid Bucuresti (ROU) vs Viborg HK (DEN)

Saturday 28 March, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• Rapid suffered a clear defeat, 36:25, in the first leg in Denmark; coach Laurent Bezeau's squad must improve in a number of areas if they are to stage a comeback
• the Danish club's dynamic back line outperformed Rapid's defence in the first leg; Viborg’s four players with the most minutes on court combined for 23 goals and scored 65 per cent of the team's total goal tally
• Viborg centre back Marielle Martinsen is the third top scorer in the competition, with 55 goals to her name
• Viborg HK are aiming to secure a place in the EHF Finals for the first time since 2021/22, when they finished as runners-up; Rapid target their first EHF Finals appearance
• unlike Viborg HK, who played midweek, CS Rapid Bucuresti enjoyed a full week preparing for the return leg, with no domestic matches

JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball (FRA) vs HC Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO)

Saturday 28 March, 20:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• the French side, last season’s EHF European League bronze medallists, moved closer to securing back-to-back appearances at the EHF Finals after recording a double-digit win, 30:20, in the first leg in Zagreb
• Dijon centre back Stine Lønborg was almost flawless in the first leg in Zagreb, as the Danish playmaker scored 13 goals from 14 attempts; she is the competition’s fourth top scorer with 54 goals
• HC Lokomotiva Zagreb lacked intensity to cope with Dijon's quality in the first leg; only Paula Posavec (10 goals) and Antonija Mamic (11 saves) rose to the challenge
• Dijon boast decent form on the home court this calendar year, having celebrated four wins, taken one draw and suffered a couple of losses across all competitions
• Zagreb are on a three-match unbeaten streak on the road in the EHF European League this season, having won every away match in the group phase

MOL Esztergom (HUN) vs Motherson Mosonmagyarovari KC (HUN)

Sunday 29 March, 14:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• Esztergom recorded a dominant victory, 36:25, in the first leg in Györ, putting them on course to reach the EHF Finals in their debut season in the EHF’s second-tier club competition
• Sunday’s hosts are on an incredible 12-match winning streak across all competitions, dating to September last year, when EHF Champions League participants DVSC Schaeffler celebrated in Esztergom
• Esztergom’s Lea Faragó had an impressive performance in the first leg — the 20-year-old left back was the match's top scorer with 12 goals
• interestingly enough, the clubs met in the Hungarian league midweek, with MOL Esztergom winning 34:20, once again on the road against Motherson Mosonmagyarovari KC; Sunday's match will therefore be their third meeting in eight days
• Motherson relieved coach Dragan Adžic from his duties following the big loss in the first leg of the quarter-finals and one of the assistant coaches, Ferenc Stranigg, will lead the team in the return leg 

Thüringer HC (GER) vs Nykøbing Falster Håndbold (DEN)

Sunday 29 March, 18:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• Thüringer HC secured a comfortable win in the first leg, 31:27, through a second-half comeback
• Johanna Reichert scored 12 goals and was the first leg's top scorer; the lethal Austrian left back is the undisputed leader in the competition, with 83 goals — 24 clear of her next rival on the list
• Nykøbing Falster Håndbold were solid in the first half of the first leg but need to improve the in-match consistency if they are to mount a comeback in Germany
• the Danish side’s keeper Anne Christine Bossen made 11 saves in the first leg and left a good impression in front of the NFH supporters
• unlike NFH, who played midweek, Thüringer HC were without a match, enabling them to fully focus on the return leg
• the reigning champions are on a three-match losing run on the home court, between the Bundesliga and the German Cup

Photo © Peter Larsen / BetaMy Foto; Johnny Pedersen; Antonio Mrkoci; Ferenc Zengő