SUMMARY: Esbjerg & Brest draw; CSKA win in Turkey
Two matches on Saturday opened the second-to-last round of the group phase in the DELO EHF Champions League 2021/22. Four more games closed this weekend's round 13 action on Sunday.
We are fighting every year to get into the DELO EHF Champions League, so even though we do not have to play at full strength because we have already won the group, it would be crazy of us not to use this opportunity to test ourselves against a top team. Brest have been a thorn in our side the past years, too, and they are starting to look like the team, that played in the final last year.
15:35
Coming up now on EHFTV we have the following games throwing off at 16:00 CET:
Sävehof vs Györ
Dortmund vs Buducnost
Esbjerg vs Brest Bretagne
With Györ having already stamped their name on a quarter-final spot, Sävehof will be looking to fight for any points at they are locked in a tough battle for that play-off spot with Krim.
But the match we will focus on here will be Esbjerg vs Brest - the clash of the in-form teams. Don't forget that Esbjerg are also in the quarter-finals now, so will we see them take their foot off the gas or will they push on to keep their good momentum going?
15:23
RESULT: Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK 15:18 CSKA
They fought and fought for the full 60 minutes but each time Kastamonu got close to taking the lead, the wheels would fall off and they would drift behind again. But they can be proud of their performance today against a strong side. CSKA will be happy to have taken full points in a very tough and physical encounter.
15:21
Never say die! Wow, Kastamonu pulled it back to level for 28:28. They were putting the CSKA under serious pressure and Rajcic in the host's goal made some important stops. But just as they are in touching distance of their first win of the season, they seem to lose concentration and let in easy goals from a quick throw off. As it stands Kastamonu 29:31 CSKA.
15:07
A 5:1 run and a flurry of poor errors by the hosts brought CSKA back to an 18:23 lead but in true Kastamonu fashion they rallied once again and have cut the six-goal gap down to three once again, 26:23.
14:51
What a start by Kastamonu! They have pulled back to a one-goal game thanks for another penalty by Raicevic. She missed her shot but was there to pick up the rebound and net it. Game on!
14:35
HALF-TIME: Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK 15:18 CSKA
14:29
A 3:1 run by the hosts Kastamonu sees them pull the game back to a four-goal tie. We sit at 17:13 for CSKA after a lovely broken-wrist penalty by Raicevic.
14:17
CSKA with the expected lead here in Turkey after 18 minutes. The Russia side are six goals up lead by a strong star by young star Elena Mikhaylichenko who is 100% so far with her four goals. Jovanka Radicevic has been brightest for the hosts with 3 goals from 4 attempts. She currently sits 4th in the overall top scorers' ranking.
14:01
Join us now on EHFTV for Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK vs CSKA!
It will be a tough match. CSKA is a team that played in last season's DELO EHF FINAL4. And also, are the Russian league champions last season. They are doing very well in their league this year. They have very good international players and a nice team to watch as well.
19:32
RESULT: METZ VS ODENSE 38:31
What a finish from Metz! From a distance of three with five minutes left to a seven-goal win, the French side power through the closing minutes to secure the points and climb back up the table.
19:24
Just over five minutes to full-time and Metz have pulled away to a 32:29 advantage. A red card for Dione Housheer, following three two-minute suspensions, has not helped Odense.
But, there is still time for the Danish team to turn the score around and snatch the points.
Looking to the scoring chart, Metz have relied on almost their entire squad to build their goal tally, with every field player except Orlane Kanor having netted at least once. 12 Metz players to Odense's nine.
19:08
We really have a game on our hands in Metz! With just over 15 minutes to go, the match is still on the edge, at 29:28 for the home side.
It is not an ideal day for the goalkeepers on either side, and the result is a very high shooting efficiency for both teams — 71 per cent for Metz and a massive 80 per cent for Odense. Odense have taken far fewer shots than their hosts, but are making more of their chances when they arise.
Individually, Camila Micijevic continues to have a great game for Metz, with seven goals now. Meanwhile, both Lois Abbingh and Rikke Iversen, the top scorers of the match for Odense, have 100 per cent accuracy rates, with six and five goals, respectively.
18:55
Just over four minutes played in the second period and Odense have not only equalised for the first time since 8:8 in the 13th minute, but taken the upper hand for the first time in the match, 21:20.
18:41
Three prior encounters between Metz and Odense, and no win yet for the Danish team. The very first mutual duel, in 2018, ended in a draw, before two victories for Metz in the clashes since.
But the close match unfolding tonight could very well go either way in the end.
Odense have a very strong away record this season, having won four of the six games on other teams' courts in 2021/22. Their only away defeats were to Györ — an astonishing 27:26 result in Hungary — and Vipers, 31:27. So what can Odense pull off tonight?
18:34
HALF-TIME UPDATE: METZ VS ODENSE 19:17
Metz hold the lead as we go to the break in France, but the home side can certainly feel Odense hot in pursuit with only a narrow distance on the score board.
18:18
The first quarter comes to a close and Metz are steady in front of their visitors, 11:9.
Odense temporarily pulled level with their hosts, 8:8 in the 12th, but Metz have not allowed a distance of less than two since Camila Micijevic pulled the French side to a 10:8 lead one minute later.
Micijevic has been one of the standouts of the game so far, with three goals — equal with Lousie Burgaard as leader for Metz — and three assists, plus two steals and a block. For Odense, Lois Abbingh has netted the most — also three — and recorded one assist.
18:06
Just over five minutes played and a competitive game, at 3:2, but Odense coach Ulrik Kirkely calls the first timeout of the match early.
Prior to the match, the coach had said: "We need to play with great discipline, and hopefully we can play the match on our terms." Such an early timeout indicates Kirkely may not have been pleased with these elements so far and wanted to get his side on track to play their own game before Metz were able to run away to a clearer lead.
Let's find out if the Danish side can keep Metz in check at home...
17:49
It's almost throw-off time for the second and last match of the day, Metz vs Odense.
Odense enter the game fourth in group B with 13 points, while Metz are third with 17. Prior to Vipers' win, Odense still had a chance for a top-two finish, but now they cannot pass the Norwegian side or group leaders Györ so are certain to contest the play-offs.
Metz are still in the running for the precious top-two spot that will allow them to skip the play-offs and go straight to the quarter-finals.
In the first encounter between the two sides this season, Metz won 27:21.
17:35
What a victory for Vipers!
The previous record win for Vipers in a match against Krim was seven goals, when they defeated the Slovenian team 37:30 in last season's group phase, on the path to the title. Krim's one victory against Vipers was the biggest previous score line between the sides — a 30:20 win in the 2016 Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final.
Krim have not beaten Vipers since that one 2016 victory and there have been six more meetings since then. All have been in the top-flight competition, where they have played group games in three of the last four seasons.
Interestingly, in 2020/21, Vipers won the first encounter with Krim 27:26, before setting the record victory in the second. This season, Vipers also won the first clash 27:26 and then went on to set a new record in the reverse fixture — from seven to 17 goals.
It was really good. We were aggressive and played together in defence. Everyone helped and it’s easier when you play together.
Congratulations to Vipers for a good game. I’m disappointed in my team. We didn’t perform today. Maybe because we had a tough game on Wednesday.
17:28
RESULT: VIPERS VS KRIM 37:20
Not a shred of doubt in the end. Vipers take their seventh win in eight matches against Krim — and by far their biggest ever.
17:21
Five minutes remain on the clock and with a 17-goal gap in their favour, 35:18, Vipers are about to celebrate a huge win — their ninth this season.
Krim will stay on eight points where they have an edge of just two points over Sävehof. In round 14, the two will face off in a direct duel for sixth place and the group's final play-off ticket.
Sävehof are to take on Györ on Sunday. If the Swedish side can pull off a big upset and hand Györ their first defeat of the season, they will be in a more favourable situation in a draw scenario against Krim in round 14. If Sävehof are defeated by Györ, Krim will need only a draw against the Swedish team to clinch the play-off berth.
17:08
Little doubt remains that Vipers will finish the job and clinch the first two points up for grabs in round 13, as they lead 27:15 in the 45th minute.
Kristine Lunde has reached a tally of 13 saves for Vipers, at precisely 50 per cent, and is the standout individual for the hosts as they maintain command of this match.
The win would mean a lot for the Norwegian side, as it would take their total to 18 points and mean they at least temporarily pass Metz, who are to play later on Saturday — at 18:00 CET against Odense.
Metz count 17 points in their account and will hope to move up to 19 as they meet the Danish team on their home court in France.
16:59
Eight minutes into the second period, Vipers hit a 10-goal advantage, 23:13, and the chance for Krim seems to be slipping away.
Katarina Krpez-Slezak has scored well over half of Krim's goals, now holding a tally of eight.
16:42
Can Krim turn this around? The sides will soon be back on court for the second half, and the visitors are facing a huge comeback task. The reverse fixture, when Krim were defeated by only one goal (26:27) in October, seems long forgotten.
Krim's Katarina Krpez-Slezak is the clear top scorer of the game so far, with six goals in the first half. On Vipers' side, Nora Mørk, Ana Debelic and Marketa Jerabkova all netted three, while wing Sunniva Andersen scored four.
16:35
HALF-TIME UPDATE: VIPERS VS KRIM 17:9
A promising start falls short for Krim, as they go to the break eight goals behind the defending title holders. The statistics tell the story clearly — Krim's shooting efficiency and save rates are far surpassed by Vipers, while the Slovenian side also recorded twice as many technical errors. In addition, Vipers netted five easy fast break goals that helped create the clear score line at the end of the first 30 minutes.
Below, we see clearly the depiction of that painful 10 minutes for Krim, where they did not net once in the middle of the half. That is where Vipers put in the big damage here in this opening round 13 encounter.
16:25
Krim's comeback proves temporary as the Slovenian side endure a scoring drought of over 10 minutes, while Vipers sink goal after goal to pull ahead to an advantage of 13:6 in the 22nd.
Vipers keeper Katrine Lunde has been causing a headache for Krim, tallying seven saves so far. Her rate rose dramatically over the past 10 minutes, now standing at 54 per cent after 38 per cent in the 11th minute — highlighting just what a nightmare this period of the match was for Krim.
In Krim's goal, Barbara Arenhart has delivered six saves, keeping her side closer in touch.
16:12
10 minutes in we have a tight match with Vipers just in front at 6:5 — but this is the closest it's been since 1:0.
Krim had to fight back after falling behind early, as Vipers steamed ahead driven by three goals from Nora Mørk. Krim have also relied heavily on one scorer so far, with Katarina Krpez-Slezak netting four of her side's five goals.
16:00
Opening whistle in Norway! It's time to tune in for Vipers vs Krim on EHFTV.com. If you cannot watch live, you can keep up with the score and all the stats right here.
15:48
Krim coach Nataliya Derepasko is the latest to feature in the This is me series, telling the story of why she decided to return to the Slovenian club after years as a player there. As a player for Krim, Derepasko won the EHF Champions League twice and 11 domestic titles.
Check it out below!
A match to secure the number three spot in the group, and to keep the hope of the number two spot alive. We want to deliver a better performance than in our last match against Metz, and give the home crowd a victory. We will have some more players back in the team, and that brings more routine in every position.
