THIRD-PLACE MATCH
Team Esbjerg (DEN) vs Metz Handball (FRA) 30:27 (17:16)
- Metz were all about speed and putting Esbjerg under pressure from the start — they were up 4:1, while Esbjerg managed to score only two goals in the span of five minutes, both by Mia Emmenegger on the right wing
- Esbjerg turned the tide with 5-1 defence, which allowed them to grab a 9:7 lead midway through the first half, before they up 15:11
- coach Emmanuel Mayonnade had to find a different approach — it meant bringing in the experienced players, after starting the match with players with less minutes on the semi-final
- Metz were up several times in the first 10 minutes of the second half, taking over the court in the MVM Dome with the help of the goalkeeper Cléopatre Darleux and her five saves out of nine attempts
- Anna Kristensen responded on the other side of the court in similar fashion, while Henny Reistad bounced back from a low-key first half by scoring five in a row to seal the deal for Esbjerg
- Henny Reistad, the competition's top scorer, closed the season with 154 goals and 93 EHF FINAL4 goals in her career
- on Metz's side, line player Sarah Bouktit remained their best individual scorer — six goals against Esbjerg set her season tally to 107 goals, making her third-best scorer this season
Team Esbjerg take bronze again as Henny Reistad reaches new scoring heights
Esbjerg came in on a bit slower note, as the French side had the upper hand, but coach Tomas Axnér changed the defensive approach, the team responded well and from falling behind they took over the control and set 15:11 lead. Metz kept things tight in a true teamwork manner — 10 players already scored at least once after the first 30 minutes.
It was a fierce battle in the second half and teams were trading leads throughout. As we approached the final moments, the tension could be felt and when Esbjerg set the 27:25 lead, they were determined not to let go and take their back-to-back bronze medal.
The French side put all the efforts in, but their passion was not rewarded. When the game hit crunch time, it was Esbjerg who had that little bit more to give and Henny Reistad once again led the charge to win 30:27. Almost similar to last year, when they defeated Metz 37:33. The Danish star added to her record-breaking season tally with eighth new goals, finishing her 2024/25 campaign with 154 goals, making her one of the most prolific scorers ever.
