Brest and CSM reach quarter-finals, Gros joins 1,000 Club

Brest Bretagne Handball confirmed their status as favourites against Krim Otp Group Mercator and sealed a quarter-final place, with Ana Gros joining the exclusive 1,000-goal club. CSM Bucuresti joined them among the top eight with a convincing win over Ikast Håndbold, while Sola HK closed their maiden European top-flight season with a win against HC Podravka.

• FTC ended Odense's two-game winning run and revenged 32:34 defeat in round 1, but both sides were left without a quarter-final spot
• the Player of the Match award went to Petra Simon who lead FTC to a win in the Match of the Week with eight goals
• Brest secured a direct quarter-final spot with a convincing win against Krim — it's their fifth quarter-finals appearance
• Ana Gros joined the exclusive Club of 1,000 of the EHF Champions League Women becoming only the fifth player in the history to reach that milestone — she netted seven against Krim
• Tamara Mavsar, who decided to end her professional career at the end of the season, played her final EHF Champions League Women game after 15 seasons played at the highest level, netting eight times for Krim
• CSM sealed a quarter-final berth — their 11th —with a convincing win against Ikast
• Valeriia Maslova and Elizabeth Omoregie helped CSM stay unbeaten for the eighth game straight, netting seven and five times respectively
• Sola finished their maiden Champions League season with a first win, beating Podravka at home

GROUP B

MOTW: ODENSE HÅNDBOLD (DEN) VS FTC-RAIL CARGO HUNGARIA (HUN) 28:30 (15:17)

H2H: 2-1-3
Top scorers: Elma Halilcevic 6/11, Mie Højlund 6/10 (Odense Håndbold); Petra Simon 8/12 (FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria)

It was a back-and-forth battle between two sides who knew a win could bring them closer to a direct quarter-final spot. Neither team managed to break away, with the biggest lead up to the 20th minute standing at just one goal. However, the final 10 minutes of the first half tilted the game in FTC's favour, as they capitalised on consecutive Odense technical errors. Mette Tranborg stepped up with three straight goals to push the lead to 16:13, allowing the visitors to carry the advantage into halftime.

FTC kept the lead after the break with Laura Glauser making a strong comeback between the posts, but Odense continued to pounce and gradually cut the gap. Powered by Elma Halilcevic and Mie Højlund, the hosts levelled in the 54th minute and, moments later, went in front at 28:27. In a thriller finish, with a quarter-final spot on the line for Odense, nerves came into play, and FTC sealed the deal to secure third place in the group, while the Danish side finished fourth.

SOLA HK (NOR) VS HC PODRAVKA (CRO) 33:24 (17:12)

H2H: 3-0-1
Top scorers: Frida Brandbu 6/7 (Sola HK); Katja Vukovic 4/5 (HC Podravka)

Podravka, who had already clinched a play-off spot, made a solid start against Sola, but once the hosts caught up, the momentum shifted. Sola took their first lead in the 14th minute and quickly tightened their grip on the game. Strong defensive actions forced Podravka into mistakes, which were punished through quick goals, setting a 12:9 lead that stretched to five by half-time. Podravka, who travelled with only 12 players due to injuries, started to falter in the second half as the lack of energy started to pile up.

Frida Brandbu stepped up as Sola's leader, helping her side build a nine-goal lead within the first eight minutes of the second half, which proved too much for Podravka to overturn. Sola entered the final 10 minutes with a 29:20 advantage and ended their maiden campaign on a high, celebrating their first Champions League victory.

CSM BUCURESTI (ROU) VS IKAST HÅNDBOLD (DEN) 33:24 (15:7)

H2H: 6-0-2
Top scorers: Valeriia Maslova 7/12 (CSM Bucuresti); Julie Scaglione 7/14 (Ikast Håndbold)

CSM's winning run continued as the Romanian side looked to finish the group phase on a high. It was a slow start from both sides, with just two goals each in the opening six minutes, but midway through the first half CSM turned the tide and imposed their rhythm. Backed by a strong defensive display and Gabriela Moreschi between the posts — standing at 59 per cent save efficiency — CSM built a 13:5 lead. Ikast's fifth goal came in the 16th minute, leaving them scoreless for the next 10.

Ikast improved in the second half, scoring seven times in 10 minutes, but the gap from the break proved too big to close. CSM kept their rhythm, with Valeriia Maslova and Elizabeth Omoregie as the fulcrums of their attack, extending their winning streak to eight and securing a victory worth a quarter-final spot.

KRIM OTP GROUP MERCATOR (SLO) VS BREST BRETAGNE HANDBALL (FRA) 25:37 (9:18)

H2H: 2-0-4
Top scorers: Tamara Mavsar 8/12 (Krim Otp Group Mercator); Ana Gros 7/11 (Brest Bretagne Handball)

Brest Bretagne Handball knew that a win or a draw would secure a direct quarter-final ticket, and from the first minute they stepped up a gear. The stretch between the 10th and 20th minute proved decisive, as the French side spurred a 9:1 run to open a double-digit lead. While Brest's attack was varied, the real battle unfolded between the posts — despite trailing, Maja Vojnovic stood at 43 per cent with 13 saves, while Floriane André pushed Brest forward with over 50 per cent save efficiency.

The goalkeepers remained high in the second half as Jovana Risovic and Camille Depuiset joined in, but Brest stayed in control to seal a convincing win. Their top scorer was Ana Gros, who netted seven to reach the exclusive 1,000-goal club, joining Anita Görbicz, Andrea Lekic, Jovanka Radicevic and Cristina Neagu.