The last play-off day offered a lot of excitement between Ikast HB and SG BBM Bietigheim. Bietigheim´s 29–27-triumph secured the first quarterfinal spot for a German team since 2015.
Bietigheim joined much more experienced knockout winners, CSM Bucharest and Ferencvaros, during their successful Sunday. After 29–27 in the opening game Bietigheim performed a solid first half to lead 18–13 half-way. Ikast reduced the margin and had an opening for a total equaliser in the end. Markera Jerabkova pushed through with 31–30 but Inger Smits secured a point for the away team – more than enough for Bietigheim.
CSM Bucharest had a total of twelve plus goals after 120 minutes against Krim Ljubljana and controlled the duel completely. Cristina Neagu stood behind seven goals and the final play-off half showed confidence from the Romanian giant.
– We are the ones leaving the arena to go to the quarter-finals, but it was not very easy for us, we struggled in the attack in the first half, but I think we didn’t give them hope in the game, we wanted to finish the match like winners and enjoy handball, said CSM coach Adrian Vasile to eurohandball.com.
Ferencvaros came back from a two-goal-loss to beat Brest Bretagne by five. The guests found holes in the home defense, both from the right wing where Angela Malestein kept running for ten goals and from the left back Emily Bölk (seven goals). Brest´s Valeriia Maslova became the first player to reach 100 goals, the right back will soon have to hand over the first spot as top scorer as BBH now exit the tournament.
In the top eight, Bietigheim replace last year’s quarterfinalist Rapid Bucharest while the other seven contenders remain the same. One month remain until the match-ups get going, in the 26|27 April weekend.
Györi Audi ETO KC–Vipers Kristiansand
Metz HB–CSM Bucharest
Odense HB–SG BBM Bietigheim
Team Esbjerg–Ferencvaros
Brest Bretagne–Ferencvaros 26–31 (12–16)
Ferencvaros advance, 59–56
CSM Bucharest–Krim Ljubljana 30–24 (14–13)
Bucharest advance, 60–48
Ikast HB–SG BBM Bietigheim 31–31 (13–18)
Bietigheim advance, 60–58