Group phase heating up with intriguing battles in Norway and Germany

EHF / Filip Mishov

13 February 2025, 13:00

With only a couple of rounds to go before the EHF European League Women 2024/25 group phase concludes, the stakes are higher than ever in round 5 with the tickets for the quarter-finals up for grabs across all four groups.

In the highlight matches, Sola HK welcome Ikast Håndbold in the Scandinavian derby in group B, while HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames host Fredrikstad Ballklubb with hope of securing the top spot in group D.

HIGHLIGHT MATCHES

GROUP B

Sola HK (NOR) vs Ikast Håndbold (DEN)
Saturday 15 February, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

the Norwegian club's home form is varying, as Steffen Stegavik's squad recorded three wins and a couple of defeats in Stavanger across all competitions in 2025
a must-win match for Sola HK if they want to repeat last season's success of reaching the quarter-finals, as the hosts sit at the bottom of group B with only a couple of points after four matches played and risk falling out of the race to reach the next stage with an eventual loss
Ikast Håndbold earned a minimal one-goal win (35:34) against Sola HK in the reverse fixture in Denmark at the start of the group phase
the Danish club is sitting in second place after the loss to BV Borussia Dortmund in round 4 with four points on their account, one more than the German club and a couple more points than Sola HK
Jamina Roberts made her European debut for Ikast Håndbold in the defeat against BV Borussia Dortmund by scoring three goals and the experienced left back is expected to play a key role in the squad going forward, with Markéta Jerábková set to miss the second half of the season due to maternity leave
Ikast Håndbold are yet to win a match on the road in the EHF European League's group phase this season as they lost to both SCM Ramnicu Valcea and BV Borussia Dortmund

GROUP D

HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames (GER) vs Fredrikstad Ballklubb (NOR)
Sunday 16 February, 14:00 CET, live on EHFTV

the German club is the only one with a perfect record after four rounds played in the EHF European League's group phase
the Flames are sitting on top in group D with four wins as well as eight points under the belt, while Fredrikstad are in third place with four points
HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames recorded a dominant away win (39:28) against Fredrikstad in the reverse fixture in Norway in round 1
the Flames need only a point to mathematically secure the top spot in group D ahead of the final round and thus book a ticket for the quarter-finals
Fredrikstad Ballklubb secured three wins and noted a couple of defeats in all competitions on the road this calendar year
Elias Halldorsson's squad defeated Super Amara Bera Bera in round 4 (33:24) with an impressive performance both in defence and attack, with Mathilde Berner Rømer making 16 saves (42 per cent save efficiency)