Györ edge Ludwigsburg in dramatic quarter-final opener

QUARTER-FINALS, FIRST LEG

HB Ludwigsburg (GER) vs Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN) 24:25 (14:16)

• Györ spurred a 4:0 goal run to get an early lead, but Ludwigsburg managed to get back into the game and tied to output (12:12) from the 21st minute
  
  
• as second half commenced, Ludwigsburg toughened in defence, successfully stopping Györ's strong backcourt line and with the help of Viola Leucther grabbed their first lead in the game (17:16) and forced Györ to step up a gear
  
  
• goalkeepers Johanna Bundsen (Ludwigsburg), and Sandra Toft (Györ), played key roles throughout the match, pulling off crucial saves after turnovers and missed opportunities from both sides - Bundsen with 14 saves and Toft with 15
  
  
• in a thriller finish, where Györ came back from a three-goal deficit with just five minutes remaining, Kristina Jörgensen was impeccable from the seven-metre line, sealing last-moment win
  
  
• this marks Ludwigsburg's fifth defeat at home this season from eight matches, while Györ just celebrated their sixth away win 
  
  
• left back Bruna de Paula led Györ with seven goals, with six out of six attempts coming in the first half; on the Ludwigsburg side it was a true team work with 12 out of 14 outfield players scoring at least once

Györ's first-leg magic

Some teams just know how to win the first leg of a quarter-final. Györ showed that once again, staying unbeaten in the opening away match of the EHF Champions League Women quarterfinals for the seventh consecutive time, excluding the cancelled 2019/20 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The only time they didn't win the first leg in that span was back in the 2016/17 season when they lost 31:32 to Metz, but even then, they bounced back in the return leg and qualified for the EHF FIANL4 Women.

Facing Ludwigsburg again, the same opponent for the last season's final, Györ once again proved they know exactly how to handle pressure. The German side gave their best to finally break the Hungarian side and kept the game tight, but just like in Budapest 2024 and both group phase matches this season, Györ came on top, in what turned out to be a tense, low-scoring battle.

Goalkeeper Sandra Toft once again proved why she is among the best in her position. The shot-stopper added another 15 saves to her tally, finishing the match at 40.54 per cent save efficiency and delivered crucial stops in the final moments of the game, allowing Györ to make a comeback and ultimately grab the narrow lead ahead of the duel in Hungary.