Metz secure first place with 12th win; Krim clinch play-offs berth

• Metz Handball secured the first place in the final standings in Group A, clinching their 12th win in 13 matches this season, 34:28, against CS Gloria 2018 BN
  
• the French side now have five consecutive seasons with at least 12 wins, while Gloria can be eliminated from contention if Storhamar take a point on Sunday against CSM Bucuresti
• FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria clinched a hard-fought win against Podravka, with a stunning comeback in the second half, 30:29, after being down four goals at the break
• the Hungarian champions tied their best-ever performance in terms of wins in a single season, 11 - last time it happened they finished as runners-up back in 2022/23
• Krim Mercator Ljubljana secured their play-off spot with a hard-fought draw against NFH, 30:30, being in the knockout phase of the European premium competition for the fifth season in a row
• NFH are now eliminated from contention for a play-off spot, being three points behind sixth-placed Storhamar, with only one match to play
• Buducnost went undefeated only for the third time this season, limiting Brest to a season-low 23 goals, to cut the gap to Rapid, their next opponent, to a single point, after a 23:23 draw in France

GROUP A

HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO) vs FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) 29:30 (18:14)

A loss would not have impacted FTC’s chances for the quarter-finals, nor would it help their challenge for the first place, but the Hungarian side continued their excellent run of form this season, with their 11th win in 13 matches, 30:29 against Podravka Vegeta. Laura Glauser had nine saves, while right wing Angela Malestein scored six goals in FTC’s fantastic comeback, where the Hungarian side saw themselves four goals down at the break. Podravka led until the 51st minute, but FTC were better in the closing stages, as they conceded only four goals in the last 10 minutes, scoring five times, with two goals from Daria Dmitrieva deciding the outcome of the match.

CS Gloria 2018 BN (ROU) vs Metz Handball (FRA) 28:34 (12:18)

It has been a turbulent week for Gloria 2018 BN, which has fired their coach, Florentin Pera, after an unexpected 24:25 midweek loss in the Romanian league against SCM Craiova. It did not help the Romanian side against Metz Handball, as interim coach Marius Novanc failed to gather the troops, with Gloria conceding their fourth loss in a row and their 10th overall this season in the EHF Champions League Women against Metz Handball. Boosted by seven goals from their top scorer, line player Sarah Bouktit, who now has 84 goals this season, the French champions clinched the first place in the standings, having a three-point lead over FTC, as they clinched their 12th win of the season. It is their fifth consecutive season with at least 12 wins for Metz - the only team still without a loss so far this season.

Nykøbing Falster Håndbold (DEN) vs Krim Mercator Ljubljana (SLO) 30:30 (14:19)

Krim’s season has been full of ups and downs, but eventually, the Slovenian champions secured their play-offs berth, with their second consecutive unbeaten match, 30:30, against NFH. Right back Ana Gros, Krim’s top scorer this season, topped the scoring charts once again for Ambros Martin’s side, with eight goals, but Krim will certainly lament their cutting edge, as they were leading 30:27 with 105 seconds to go. Three goals in the last two minutes for NFH, including a buzzer-beater from Alberte Madsen, saw the match end in a deadlock, but the Danish hosts can hold their heads up high, as they secured their third draw of the season, having no chance of progression. Krim can finish fourth now, provided they win their last match against Podravka Vegeta, which would see the Slovenian side host the second leg in the play-offs.

GROUP B

Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) vs Buducnost (MNE) 23:23 (13:10)

Buducnost needed a win to boost their chances for a play-offs berth against their showdown against Rapid in the last matchday of the group phase, and they managed to slow down the pace of the match to their style in the first half, limiting the best attack of the season, Brest, to only 13 goals. In fact, the French side scored their lowest number of goals this season, 23. Right back Jelena Vukcevic tied her best performance of the season, with nine goals, as Buducnost secured only their fourth point of the season, in a hard-fought 23:23 draw, with Brest now on a four-match winless streak. Buducnost cut the gap to Rapid to a single point, with the last match between the two sides being the decider for the last play-offs place in Group B.