15.10.2022, 07:30
Depleted Odense shock Brest with big win

GROUP A REVIEW: Missing four key players in the back line, Odense Håndbold deliver one of the biggest surprises of the season

After losing three of their first four games, Odense Håndbold delivered a superb game against Brest Bretagne Handball, leapfrogging the French side in the standings, as the hosts could do nothing to stop conceding a 21:25 loss – one of their worst-ever attacking performances in the European top competition.

GROUP A
Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) vs Odense Håndbold (DEN) 21:25 (8:16)

• Brest’s attacking efficiency in the first half dropped to a meagre 30%, as the French side posted their worst number of goals after 30 minutes in the EHF Champions League Women since November 2017, when they scored only seven times against Györ
• Odense goalkeeper Althea Reinhardt was a big part of that, displaying a superb game, with eight saves for a 53.3% saving efficiency, to frustrate the French side
• Brest’s former back Tonje Løseth, who spent the previous two seasons at Brest, scoring 30 goals in the EHF Champions League Women, was Odense’s top scorer in the match, with eight goals
• the French side scored 21 goals, the third lowest output in history in the European top flight, with worse performances coming against Györ in November 2017, 17, and Rostov-Don last season, 18
• this was Brest’s third loss in the past 27 home matches in the European premium competition and the second of the season – the first time since the 2018/19 season when the French side lost twice on their home court

Brest’s attack drops in efficiency

It is clear that Brest Bretagne Handball made a step back this season, having several shortcomings. However, the biggest one is definitely the attack: their efficiency has dropped from 28.1 goals per game in the 2020/21 season and 27.1 goals per game in the 2021/22 season, to only 24.6 goals per game this season.

Sure, influential players have left, but Brest are simply in a rut, having lost their biggest advantage this season – the superb home form, where they were simply dominating the opponents.

On the other hand, Odense came in after a 10-goal loss, 22:32, against Ikast Håndbold in the Danish league, but rallied and produced one of their best games in recent seasons, managing to clinch a 25:21 win despite having a depleted squad, with backs Lois Abbingh, Dione Housheer, Mia Rej and Larissa Nusser all missing.

TEXT: EHF / Adrian Costeiu