A challenging season was no match for Danish outfit Team Esbjerg, who enjoy their best start ever in the DELO EHF Champions League.

Esbjerg secured their sixth win in eight games, 34:24 against BV Borussia 09 Dortmund, to jump to first place in the standings after the final match in 2021.

GROUP A

Team Esbjerg (DEN) vs BV Borussia 09 Dortmund (GER) 34:24 (18:13)

• for eight minutes, Dortmund looked like challenging Esbjerg, but a 4:0 unanswered run from the Danish side, with three goals from Norwegian right wing Marit Rosberg Jacobsen turned the game on its head, opening a 9:6 lead for the hosts
• back after a lengthy injury layoff, Jacobsen is in superb form, adding seven goals to her 12-goal tally from the past two games
• the Danish side scored the third-most number of goals in a single game in their history in the DELO EHF Champions League, 34, three shy of their record, set against another German side, SG BBM Bietigheim, in February 2021
• Dortmund’s attack suffered, with a 42% efficiency in this game, while the top scorer of the DELO EHF Champions League, Alina Grijseels, only scored twice out of seven shots, as her advantage in the standings was cut to only two goals, ahead of Nora Mork’s 61-goal tally
• Esbjerg tied their best-ever unbeaten run in the DELO EHF Champions League, six games, having won five and drawn one match

Are Esbjerg true contenders?

Esbjerg are a force to be reckoned with this season, especially on their home court, where their excellent defence and seamless attack have worked wonders to produce top-quality handball. Only Gyor, who boast a +55 goal difference after four games, have bettered Esbjerg’s record, but the Danish side also won four out of four and have a +33 goal difference.

Despite a slew of injuries or whatever challenges were thrown in their way, the Danish side have been superb up until this point of the season, as they lead the standings for the first time. They might not have the best attack in the competition – ranking third, with 229 goals – or the best defence, where they conceded 195 goals, also good enough for the third place, but they have consistently outplayed their opponents.