Convincing MOTW win for Brest; CSM defend home court

• FTC got their hands on their second straight win this season with the help of Laura Glauser's 17 saves at an impressive 43.59 per cent efficiency, sealing a convincing victory against Krim — their 12th against the Slovenian side
• Krim continued their poor run, suffering a fourth consecutive defeat — the same start to the EHF Champions League as in the 2015/16 season
• Player of the Match Clarisse Mairot and right wing Pauline Coatanea led Brest to a win in the Match of the Week — and the team's fourth consecutive victory — with six goals each, celebrating only their second success against Odense in seven away matches
• Odense's 40:31 defeat was only the third time in their history when they conceded 40 or more goals in the EHF Champions League
• Elma Halilcevic netted Odense's 3,000th EHF Champions League goal, with their tally now standing at 3,022 across seven seasons
• CSM remain unbeaten at home this campaign after a strong defensive performance against Podravka, while Trine Østergaard led the attack — this was also Podravka's first defeat of the season

GROUP B

Krim OTP Group Mercator (SLO) vs FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) 22:33 (12:19)

H2H: 8-0-12
Top scorers: Tamara Horacek 7/10 (Krim OTP Group Mercator), Emily Vogel 8/10 (FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria)

FTC celebrated their second-biggest win against Krim — their largest came in 2023, a 37:26 triumph — with a commanding performance on both ends of the court. A defensive deadlock opened the clash, with neither side scoring until the fourth minute. Maja Vojnovic's early saves held the visitors' back, but Krim's attack faltered and struggled to convert their chances. Once Laura Glauser joined the goalkeeping contest, momentum shifted decisively to the Hungarian side, who fuelled a 5:0 run to seize control.

Former Krim star Daria Dmitrieva punished her past teammates, netting seven in total and helping FTC build a commanding seven-goal cushion by half-time. The Slovenian hosts looked out of rhythm and short on confidence after the break, while FTC continued to pounce. Emily Vogel stepped up as the fulcrum of their offence, being the top scorer with eight goals and pushing the gap into double digits midway through the second half — a difference that ultimately decided the match.

MOTW: Odense Håndbold (DEN) vs Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) 31:40 (17:23)

H2H: 8-1-4
Top scorers: Thale Rushfeldt Deila 7/11 (Odense Håndbold), Clarisse Mairot 6/8 (Brest Bretagne Handball), Pauline Coatanea 6/7 (Brest Bretagne Handball)
POTM: Clarisse Mairot (Brest Bretagne Handball)

Brest remained perfect, keeping the pole position in the standings. Odense had an early grip on the game with strong defensive play, but Brest quickly responded and Clarisse Mairot led the offence as the visitors went on to a narrow lead. Once Brest hit 16:13 in the 21st minute, momentum shifted, and Odense's attacking errors helped the French champions push their advantage out to six. Odense came into the match with one of the most efficient attacks in the competition, but were held to just 17 goals before half-time, as Brest's renowned defence once again proved decisive, while at the other end they scored 23 times.

Odense fought hard to get back into the game, but even when there were signs of hope, playing without a goalkeeper cost them. Instead of scoring and narrowing the gap with numerical advantage, Brest capitalised by scoring into an empty net to set a nine-goal lead. Heading into the final 10 minutes with a wide gap, the French side never looked back, finishing off a top-notch performance that kept their flawless record intact and cemented their place at the top of the group.

CSM Bucuresti (ROU) vs HC Podravka (CRO) 34:24 (16:10)

H2H: 5-0-0
Top scorers: Trine Østergaard 8/9 (CSM Bucuresti), Matea Pletikosic 5/7 (HC Podravka)

CSM opened strongly in front of their home crowd, leaving Podravka without a goal for the first six minutes, while Evelina Eriksson performed strongly between the posts with six stops in the beginning. Podravka's struggles were obvious on both ends of the court, as their attack lacked precision, while their defence could not contain Elizabeth Omoregie, who orchestrated CSM's offence with ease.

With their attack flowing and defence holding firm, CSM stretched the lead to six before the break, heading into the second half with momentum firmly on their side. Podravka's struggles continued, especially in defence, with their three goalkeepers combining for just three saves in 60 minutes, while CSM had 12 of 14 outfield players scoring at least once. Trine Østergaard led the charge with eight goals, helping CSM seal a comfortable win and stay unbeaten at home.

Main photo © Torben Andresen