Rapid snatch play-off ticket in thriller; Györ secure top spot

• Odense Håndbold celebrated their fifth away win of the season with a convincing performance against HB Ludwigsburg — left back Ragnhild Valle Dahl and left wing Elma Halilcevic scored 10 goals each
• for the second year in a row, Györ secured the top spot in the group in a direct face-off with Team Esbjerg, who still failed to celebrate their first-ever win against the Hungarian side
• the competition's top scorer Henny Reistad further extended her tally to 122 after netting four times for Esbjerg against Györ
• Buducnost missed out on the play-offs for the second consecutive season in a dramatic fashion — Rapid staged a comeback in the last three minutes of the game and grabbed a much-needed draw to advance to the play-offs, with crucial goals by Estavana Polman and Sorina Grozav
• Rapid joined CSM Bucuresti as the second Romanian team in the play-offs, while their third representative CS Gloria 2018 BN was knocked out of the competition

GROUP B

HB Ludwigsburg (GER) vs Odense Håndbold (DEN) 24:40 (11:17)

Odense Håndbold ended the group phase on a high, securing their 10th win in the group and thus proving why they had already clinched third place. Ludwigsburg, with nothing to lose in this game, remained in fourth place as head coach Jakob Vestergaard watched his future team claim a convincing victory. Odense had a blistering start, quickly establishing a 12:3 lead, thanks to Yara Ten Holte’s stellar performance between the posts. The home team did find their rhythm later in the first half, but not enough to make any difference. The second half saw Odense maintain their fast-paced style, hitting a double-digit lead in the 40th minute (25:15) and cruising to a dominant 40:24 win.

Team Esbjerg (DEN) vs Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN) 23:29 (12:15)

The battle for the top spot in the group went Györ's way as they celebrated their ninth win against Team Esbjerg in the competition's history. The teams were evenly matched in the opening minutes, but Györ's powerful backcourt line began to pull ahead midway through the first half, establishing a six-goal lead. Esbjerg managed to narrow the gap before the break, but Györ's well-coordinated defence and efficient attack kept them firmly in control when the second part commenced. Esbjerg tried to find their chance with a seven-against-six play, but it did not bring any significant changes. Bruna de Paula netted eight times, while Sandra Toft stopped 14 of Esbjerg's attempts at 37.84 per cent save efficiency.

Buducnost (MNE) vs Rapid Bucuresti (ROU) 21:21 (12:9)

In a high-stakes showdown where both teams were fighting for a place in the play-offs, Rapid Bucuresti mounted a comeback and earned a draw, which secured them the desired spot. Right from the start, Buducnost dictated the tempo, with right back Jelena Vukcevic pulling the strings and scoring six goals in the first half alone. Rapid Bucuresti fought hard to stay within reach and they finally caught up mid-second half, boosted by Denisa Sandru's saves. It was a nail-biting game all the way to the end as Rapid made the impossible possible. The home team was leading 21:18 with just three minutes on the clock, but a few mistakes cost them greatly. Rapid narrowed it to one, had the last attack of the game and managed to level from a penalty shot at the very end. An equaliser worthy of the play-offs.

Main photo © Buducnost