Remaining quarter-final berths to be sealed this weekend
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The EHF Champions League Women 2024/25 quarter-final spots are on the line as the decisive second leg of the play-offs will determine who joins Metz Handball, Györi Audi ETO KC, FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria and Team Esbjerg in the next stage of the competition.
Brest Bretagne Handball hope to bounce back after a narrow defeat in Koprivnica, while Krim Mercator Ljubljana need a massive comeback against HB Ludwigsburg in the Match of the Week on Sunday.
The Romanian derby between CSM Bucuresti and Rapid Bucuresti has a clear favourite, while Odense Håndbold aim to stay undefeated against Storhamar Handball Elite to make it into the quarter-finals.
CSM secured a 34:24 win in the first leg, edging closer to a 10th consecutive appearance in the quarter-finals of the EHF Champions League Women
two of CSM’s backs, Elizabeth Omoregie (97 goals) and Cristina Neagu (89 goals) are second and third in the top scorers’ standings, just behind Esbjerg’s Henny Reistad, who scored 122 times
CSM have won 15 of the 17 mutual matches in all competitions, including a 26:25 away win in the Romanian league on Wednesday, which cemented CSM’s top place in the standings
Rapid have conceded 11 losses in 15 matches this season, the largest number of losses by a team still present in the competition
the team progressing from this play-offs tie will face Team Esbjerg in the quarter-finals, with the Danish team eliminating CSM in the same phase of the competition in 2021/22 and 2022/23
It is going to be the third game in a row against CSM in one week. So we have to be focused on our job and we must improve all aspects of our game. Our first game in the Champions League last Saturday was not a good game, so we know that we can play better and we have been working in that way.
Podravka secured a dramatic 27:26 win in the first leg, thanks to Matea Pletikosic’s last-second goal; it was their first-ever victory over Brest after four previous losses
Brest have won three of their seven home games this season, mirroring Podravka’s away record
Clarisse Mairot is Brest’s top scorer with 72 goals, four of them netted in the first game of the play-offs, while Podravka’s Matea Pletikosic netted eight to bring her overall tally to 77 goals
both goalkeepers shine: Podravka’s Lucija Bešen (125 saves, 30 per cent efficiency) and Brest’s Katharina Filter (114 saves, 33.5 per cent efficiency) rank among the competition’s top five
Brest boast the third-best attack among the play-off teams, scoring 440 goals in total
the winner will face Metz Handball in the quarter-finals — Brest are eyeing their third appearance, while Podravka last made it to that stage in 1996/97
We’ve done a good job of analysing and working on what we need to do to reverse the trend at home. The crowd will be important in pushing us and giving us the energy we need. It’s going to be another great battle on Saturday.
Raphaëlle Tervel
Head coach, Brest Bretagne Handball
I hope that we will play a match that will be similar to all the ones we have played so far at home and away. Also, that above all, we will be satisfied with combativeness and approach. We have no reason to be afraid of a certain result, but to play well. We will look for our chance and I think we have it.
Ludwigsburg celebrated a convincing 10-goal win in the first game, taking a big step towards the quarter-finals, while Krim will try to mount an impressive comeback at home
it was Krim’s second double-digit loss this season, while Ludwigsburg claimed their second win over them in their mutual meetings in the European premium competition
the team that secures progression will face Györi Audi ETO KC in the quarter-finals — Krim last reached the quarter-finals in 2021/22, while Ludwigsburg advanced last season, eventually making it to the final
Ana Gros leads Krim’s scoring charts with 81 goals, while their second-best scorer Tamara Horacek is out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury
Ludwigsburg showcased strength in the first game, with all 13 outfield players scoring at least once, led by their season’s top scorer Viola Leucther and Veronika Mala
German side’s goalkeeper Johanna Bundsen not only had 38 per cent save efficiency in the first game, but she is also the competition’s best goalkeeper with 188 saves at 33.63 per cent efficiency
We need to improve our efficiency on Sunday. That was one of the main reasons the gap widened so quickly — we struggled to score at the start of the second half. Everything was against us — it was just one of those days. But I can say with certainty that we will be better in the return match. We’ve already identified some new solutions in training for their defence, which was particularly aggressive against me.
Odense secured the largest win in the first leg of the play-offs, taking their third double-digit win of the season, 33:20
the Danish side have the best attack this season, scoring 467 goals in 15 matches, or an average of 31.1 goals per match
in three matches between the two sides, Odense have won twice and drawn once, as the Danish side have won 11 games this season, while Storhamar grabbed only three victories
in their EHF Champions League appearances, Storhamar have won only three away matches from the 15 they played so far
the winner of the tie will face FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria in the quarter-finals, with Odense aiming for their maiden appearance at the EHF FINAL4 in Budapest
We know that we go into the game with a big advantage, but we are aware that it must not be too sloppy and we must still deliver at the same high level. We want to win every game and we can only build on good performances to the games ahead.
Ole Gjekstad
Head coach, Odense Håndbold
It was a brutal first match against a very good handball team. We had no chance at all to stand against them. We are going to Denmark to do better. We will focus on some important things that we can take with us into the last part of the game in the national league.
GLITZ SPORTS XPRESS 
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