Everything to play for in crunch battles in round 12
The EHF Champions League Women 2024/25 heads into a new thrilling round with key battles shaping the standings ahead of the final clashes.
FTC Rail-Cargo Hungaria and Metz Handball have already secured quarter-final tickets, but Krim Mercator Ljubljana, CS Gloria 2018 BN, Storhamar Handball Elite and Nykøbing Falster Håndbold are still fighting for a place in the play-offs. Meanwhile, CSM Bucuresti and HC Podravka Vegeta go head-to-head in a tight race in the Match of the Week for third place in the group.
In group B, the battle for the quarter-final spots is tight, as Team Esbjerg and Odense Håndbold are aiming to win and improve their chances, with leaders Györ are already close to clinching their place.
It will be a tough away game. They are a team that performs well at home. FTC have performed solidly in this year's Champions League and have great opportunities to reach the EHF FINAL4. We had a good performance the last time we met them at home, but we are still a long way off. They have many players with great qualities, so we must be able to stand up in the duel, both in defence and attack.
It's another home game for us, and a very important one in many ways because we want to stay unbeaten, because we're aiming to finish top of the group against a team that gave us plenty of trouble in the first leg, full of very good players. It promises to be another complicated match for us at home.
I think our chances are good. We have shown that we can play closely with the best teams, and on a good day also beat them. If we set a good defensive line so that we can run with them, then I think we can give them a good game. Of course it will be difficult away from home, but I really feel we have the opportunity to score points on Saturday.
After a few weeks, we can see some positive changes in the team. We’ve had some tough games, but we’re noticing improvements. Not only in the games, but also in the training sessions. We still don't have any points, but the team's face is different.
We are very aware of the importance and difficulty of the match in Ljubljana. Krim are a strong team with very good players and experience in the Champions League. Also, Krim have their peculiarities and we must take them into account. Like any team, they have strengths and weaknesses. We will have to be focused and motivated to erase their strengths and profit from their weaknesses.
I want us to play a good match without any burden. What will keep us alive and in the game is certainly the energy, commitment, running and fighting spirit that we had in almost all previous matches.
Odense are an excellent team, with players from Denmark and Norway; they are strong in all positions. Our focus is on our game and giving our best with the goal of securing a point, which would mean a lot in the fight for a place in the play-offs. We were close to them in the first game in Denmark, and we believe we can do better in front of our fans.
The match against Ludwigsburg will be very important for us. We are going there with ambition and we want the two points, as they would be crucial for qualifying for the next phase of the Champions League. The most important thing is to be solid in defence, find easy goals on the fast break and avoid losing the ball in attack.
It is an exciting match coming up. With the Metz match a few days later, these are two big matches, two matches we want to play. These are the best games of the season. They are both very similar, even if the stakes are not the same. We are going to concentrate on the Esbjerg game first, so that we can play the best possible match there, with Reistad one of the biggest assets in Sunday's match, and one that we are going to have to get to grips with.
