In the 8th round of Group B of the 2024/25 EHF Women’s Handball Champions League, Team Esbjerg (Denmark) and Odense Håndbold (Denmark) won for the 6th time, igniting the race for the top spot.
In the match held on the 17th (local time), Team Esbjerg defeated Buducnost Montenegro 26-19, and Odense defeated Brest Bretagne Handball France 38-36, earning 12 points. record, narrowing the gap with Gyori Audi ETO KC Hungary to 1 point.
Team Esbjerg overcame poor offensive performance in the first half against Buuchnost and showed improved performance in the second half. Henny Reistad had a bit of a slump at the beginning of the game, missing the first four shots, but regained his status as the leading scorer in the second half, contributing to the team’s victory.
news/cms/202411/19/news-p.v1.20241119.a6b9026a3c5d490aa7573d6c329da90e_R.jpg" data-width="600" data-height="400" /> Enlarged photo 2024/25 EHF Women’s Handball Champions League match between teams Esbjerg and Buuchnost, photo source = European Handball Federation
Esbjerg scored only 10 goals in the first half, the third-lowest first half score in European competition history, but showed stability on both offense and defense in the second half and won 26-19. With this win, Esbjerg recorded 5 consecutive wins and climbed to 2nd place in the rankings.
“Buduchnost was a very well-prepared team,” said Esbjerg coach Tomas Axnér in a post-match interview. There was anxiety at the beginning of the game as we missed chances, but we overcame it. “I salute Buuchnost’s fighting spirit,” he said, expressing admiration for the opposing team’s performance.
news/cms/202411/19/news-p.v1.20241119.f04710e3f99d43eaa9b60e6f19347505_R.jpg" data-width="600" data-height="400" /> Enlarged photo 2024/25 EHF Women’s Handball Champions League match between Odense and Brest, photo source = European Handball Federation
Odense won 38-36 in a close game against Brest, breaking the record for most goals in Champions League history (74 goals). With this, Odense surpassed Brest to rise to third place and recorded 4 consecutive wins.
Thale Rushfeldt Deila scored 7 goals, and Maren Aardahl and Elma Halilcevic scored 6 goals each, accounting for half of Odense’s goals.
The game was fierce from the beginning, and Brest was ahead 10-8 at one point in the first half, but Odense scored five goals in a row to take the lead. The first half ended with Odense leading 18-17.
A tight game continued in the second half, but in the 49th minute, Odense took the lead by widening the lead to 4 goals, 33-29. Brest started to chase at the last minute, but Odense maintained the lead until the end, ending the game with 38-36.
Odense coach Ole Gustav Gjekstad said, “Brest is a very aggressive team and they pressed hard. I am really happy that we fought until the end against such a team and won. “Both teams had ups and downs, but in the end, we were able to score important points,” he said, expressing his feelings about the victory.
[김용필 MK스포츠 기자]
What strategies do you think your teams will need to implement in order to outperform Gyori Audi ETO KC Hungary in the race for the second position in the EHF Women’s Handball Champions League?
My name is [Your Name], and today I’m pleased to have with me two distinguished guests to discuss the recent developments in the 2024/25 EHF Women’s Handball Champions League. Our first guest is Tomas Axnér, head coach of Team Esbjerg, and the second guest is Ole Gustav Gjekstad, head coach of Odense Håndbold.
Thank you both for joining us today! Let’s begin by discussing Team Esbjerg’s recent win against Buuchnost. Coach Axnér, can you tell us about your team’s strategy in the game, especially during the first half when you scored only 10 goals? How did you manage to turn the tide and secure the victory in the second half?
Coach Axnér: Thank you for having me. We faced a very well-prepared team in Buuchnost, and there was anxiety at the beginning of the game as we missed chances. However, we managed to overcome that by maintaining our stability on both offense and defense. We worked on our passing and shots during the half-time break, which enabled us to secure the win in the second half.
Great! Now, shifting our focus to Odense’s impressive performance against Brest. Coach Gjekstad, can you tell us about your team’s approach to the game? What adjustments did you make to secure the win despite a tight match?
Coach Gjekstad: Thank you for having me. Brest is a very aggressive team, and they pressed us hard. We were ahead at one point in the first half, but Odense managed to score five goals in a row to take the lead. The game was very close, and both teams had their ups and downs, but we fought till the end and managed to score crucial points. Our players showed great determination and resilience, which helped us secure the win.
That’s interesting. Both teams seem to agree that stability and determination were key factors in their victories. Moving on, both teams have now set their sights on second place, which is currently occupied by Gyori Audi ETO KC Hungary. With 12 points each, Team Esbjerg and Odense are only one point behind. As head coach
