24.01.2020, 10:00
Metz and Rostov to clash in France

GROUP 1 PREVIEW: Having topped their groups in the group matches, Metz and Rostov will now play each other in France in a mouth-watering clash in the DELO WOMEN'S EHF Champions League main round

Metz and Rostov to clash in France

Last year, Metz Handball and Rostov-Don met on the opening day of the DELO WOMEN’S EHF Champions League main round, and now history will repeat itself as the two sides will again clash at Metz on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, Vipers Kristiansand will host Team Esbjerg in a Scandinavian derby, while FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria are set to face CSM Bucuresti in Match of the Week.

Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) vs Team Esbjerg (DEN)
Saturday 25 January, 14:15 CET, live on ehfTV.com

  • Vipers open the main round with five points; Esbjerg have four
  • both sides are on a two-match winning run in the competition
  • Norway’s squad in the 2019 IHF Women's World Championship had six players from Vipers and three players from Esbjerg
  • Danish centre back Annette Jensen was at the Norwegian club between 2012 and 2015, but none of Esbjerg’s seven Norwegian players played for Vipers in the past
  • the two teams have never faced each other before in a European club competition

Metz Handball (FRA) vs Rostov-Don (RUS)
Saturday 25 January, 15:00 CET, live on ehfTV.com

  • in three Champions League matches last season, Metz won both main round matches (29:25, 26:18), but Rostov took revenge in the semi-final (27:25)
  • after both teams won their groups in the group matches, Metz start the main round with six points; Rostov have five
  • Rostov are on a three-match winning run, while Metz are still unbeaten in the competition
  • Metz coach Emmanuel Mayonnade led Netherlands to their first-ever world championship title in 2019
  • Rostov's Lois Abbingh was a member of the Dutch team, and eight more Rostov players won bronze with Russia

MOTW: FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) vs CSM Bucuresti (ROU)
Saturday 25 January, 16:00 CET, live on ehfTV.com

  • the two rivals met in the group matches last season, and CSM won both duels, 36:31 and 34:28
  • CSM have three points at the start of the main round, while FTC have only one
  • CSM start the main round with both the fewest number of goals scored (90) and conceded (93) in group 1
  • FTC’s Katrin Klujber is the joint second-best scorer in the Champions League with 40 goals
     

TEXT: Sergey Nikolaev / jw
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