Dijon surprise visiting Flames, but Blomberg-Lippe win away

There was better news for German fans as HSG Blomberg-Lippe secured the second win for a German club in the first leg, beating Super Amara Bera Bera 28:25 in Spain. That follows Thuringer HC’s Saturday win against SCM Ramnicu Valcea.

Meanwhile Ikast Håndbold cancelled an early four-goal deficit against H.C. Dunarea Braila to improve their chances of progression with a 32:30 win against the Romanian side.

QUARTER-FINALS, FIRST LEG

Ikast Håndbold (DEN) vs H.C. Dunarea Braila (ROU) 32:30 (16:17)

In their last three appearances in the EHF European League Women quarter-finals, Ikast Håndbold have always made it to the EHF Finals Women, but they were made to sweat in the first leg against H.C. Dunarea Braila. The 2022/23 champions were down by four goals after nine minutes, with the Romanian side really dictating the tempo. However, as time went by, Braila faltered more and more, with their attacking efficiency dropping to 41 per cent at the end of the match.

Nevertheless, the Romanian club delivered a good performance. Line player Katarina Jezic scored eight goals, while left wing Daria Michalak and centre back Kristina Liscevic added five goals each. But they were no match for Ikast’s Emma Lindqvist, who scored nine goals in a dominant performance. The pivotal moment of the match was a 4:0 run for Ikast, which saw a 19:20 deficit turn into a 23:20 lead, but Braila came back and limited the damage. Next weekend’s second leg will be decisive in the equation for a EHF Finals Women ticket.

JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball (FRA) vs HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames (GER) 31:27 (18:13)

The only side with a 100 per cent winning record in the group phase, HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames, conceded their maiden loss of the season after being thoroughly dominated in the first leg against Dijon. It was an excellent performance from the French side, who had a 73 per cent attacking efficiency in the first half and forced their visitors on to the back foot from the start.

In their first European season since 2017/18, Dijon are close to their first European semi-final in 20 years, with an excellent overall performance. Left back Claire Vautier had her best performance of the season, with seven goals. Bensheim/Auerbach were left rueing their missed chances, as the last nine minutes ended in a 5:1 run for Dijon.

Super Amara Bera Bera (ESP) vs HSG Blomberg-Lippe (GER) 25:28 (12:14)

The third German side qualified for the quarter-finals of the EHF European League Women, HSG Blomberg-Lippe, were the only group winners to secure an away win in the first quarter-final of the competition, after a nip-and-tuck match against Super Amara Bera Bera.

The German side edged closer to their first European semi-final since the EHF Challenge Cup 2008/09, with a fantastic performance, boosted by Laetitia Quist and Spanish wing Ona Vegue. Between them, Quist and Vegue scored 15 goals to push Blomberg-Lippe past the finish line. The pivotal moment of the match came in the last 10 minutes, when the visitors deployed a 9:5 run to come back from behind and deal Bera Bera a tough loss. However, with a three-goal deficit, the qualification question is still open.

Photos © Hamistolen.dk, Foxaep, Arnaitz Rubio