For the first time this season, Metz Handball are in first place in Group A after securing their fourth win in the last six games, 33:25, against Bietigheim.

The French outfit boasts the slightest of leads, one point ahead of Rostov-Don, but the Russian side has a game in hand, which will be played on Wednesday against Vipers Kristiansand.

GROUP A

SG BBM Bietigheim (GER) vs Metz Handball (FRA) 25:33 (12:16)

• the German side started the game with a healthy 4:3 lead, but a 4:0 unanswered run from Metz turned the game on its head
• as German back Kim Naidzinavicius spearheaded Bietigheim’s effort with ten goals, the hosts tied the game, 9:9, but only scored three times in the last 11 minutes of the first half
• Slovenian centre back Tjasa Stanko had her best game for Metz this season in the DELO EHF Champions League, scoring eight times, to lead a flawless French side in attack
• Metz finished the game with a superb 66 per cent attacking efficiency, which trumped Bietigheim’s goalkeeper Emily Sando’s efforts, with the Norwegian shot-stopper saving eight shots
• the French side will finish the group with a home game against CSM Bucuresti, while Bietigheim’s last game features a trip to Esbjerg

Metz’s attack carry their form to first place

Four days removed from their first home loss since 2017, Metz Handball bounced back in emphatic fashion, with one of the best displays of the season. The French side are now first in the group with eight wins and four losses as their young team starts to gel especially in attack, where they also top the group with an average of 29.5 goals scored per game, the best in the group and the second-best in the DELO EHF Champions League this season.