02.11.2018, 10:07
Metz and CSM seek early main round berths

GROUP A/D PREVIEW: Metz Handball and CSM Bucuresti can clinch early main round places if they win on Sunday, while Larvik and FTC celebrate milestone matches in the Women’s EHF Champions League

Metz and CSM seek early main round berths

An away win against Buducnost on Sunday will earn Metz Handball a ticket to the Women’s EHF Champions League Main Round with two Group A match days remaining. In Group D, CSM Bucuresti can achieve the same through a home win against Vipers Kristiansand, and FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria can join them if the results this weekend go the Hungarian team’s way.

GROUP A
Odense HC (DEN) vs Larvik HK (NOR)
Sunday 4 November, 13:30 local time, live on ehftv.com

• Larvik will aim for better than their October 19 meeting with Odense, when the Danish side won 33:25 in Larvik
• The match will be Larvik’s 200th in the Women’s EHF Champions League
• Odense earned their 12th win out of 12 in the Danish league on Wednesday night, defeating Team Esbjerg 24:23 in the top game at home. In the Norwegian league, Larvik won as clearly as 36:19 at home against Skrim
• Odense added Camilla Pytlick, daughter of head coach Jan Pytlick, to the squad during the week

Buducnost (MNE) vs Metz Handball (FRA)
Sunday 4 October, 19:00 local time, live on ehftv.com

• With a win, Metz will clinch an early main round berth
• Buducnost will be seeking revenge for the 25:24 away defeat to Metz in the first group match clash this season, on October 21
• Metz travel to Montenegro as undefeated top team in the French league following a 33:21 win away against Fleury Loiret on Wednesday – after being down 13:14 at half-time

GROUP D
CSM Bucuresti (ROU) vs Vipers Kristiansand (NOR)
Sunday 4 November, 18:30 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• A win on Sunday would see CSM gain safe passage to the main round, after the Romanian side already won against Kristiansand two weeks ago, 29:27
• CSM boast the second most effective attack in the competition, with 93 goals scored over three games
• The Romanian side also have the top scorer in the competition – Cristina Neagu, with 26 goals in the first three games. Playmaker Andrea Lekic is close behind, with 22
• This will be the 10th Women’s EHF Champions League game for Vipers, who have yet to secure an away win until this point

FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) vs SG BBM Bietigheim (GER)
Sunday 4 November, 14:30 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• This will be FTC’s 150th game in the top European competition. The Hungarian side are the seventh to reach this milestone, after Györ, Buducnost, Hypo, Larvik, Krim and Viborg
• The hosts are on a four-game winning streak in all competition, including a 39:18 win against Vac in the Hungarian league on Sunday
• The German side announced last week that coach Martin Albretsen’s contract has been extended until 2020
• FTC took their second win in three mutual games against Bietigheim two weeks ago, 28:25, after a dominant second half

TEXT: Peter Bruun / Adrian Costieu / cg