A few hours after losing second place in group B of the DELO EHF Champions League to Vipers Kristiansand, Metz Handball reclaimed the position following a 38:31 win against Odense Håndbold.
GROUP B
Metz Handball (FRA) vs Odense Håndbold (DEN) 38:31 (19:17)
- in a high-scoring first half, both teams' goalkeepers did not make much impact, combining for a total of just three saves
- Metz were in control from the opening minutes but could not pull clear by more than three goals before the break
- Odense took their first lead in the game in the 35th minute, 21:20, but the French team had the upper hand in the last quarter of the match
- Melanie Halter, who replaced Ivana Kapitanovic in Metz's goal, boasted a 45 per cent save rate, as her team conceded just three goals in the last 15 minutes
- Camila Micijevic scored 10 goals for Metz, while Lois Abbingh netted seven times for Odense
Metz's top-two fate in their own hands
With one group match to go, Metz have 19 points, one more than third-placed Vipers Kristiansand, so the French side are in control of their destiny.
In round 14, both contenders for second place and a direct quarter-final spot will face tough challenges: Metz are set to play at CSKA, and Vipers will host the unstoppable Györi Audi ETO KC.
But as the French team hold the head-to-head advantage over their Norwegian rivals, even a draw will secure a quarter-final berth for Emmanuel Mayonnade's team.
Of course we are disappointed after the game, but we had a lot of missing players, so even if the girls fought hard, today it was not enough. We can't wait for them to come back, because we have important games ahead of us.
I am very happy tonight. Even if we didn't play exactly as planned, it doesn't matter — the main thing is the victory. We want to finish second in the group and we know that we have to beat (CSKA) Moscow. It will not be easy but of course we are able to do it and we are ready.
