The Women’s Champions League is already beginning to take shape, with several of the tournament favourites making strong starts while others have more ground to make up.
As the competition enters its fifth round, we asked three experts with extensive experience from the European game to assess the tactical developments, standout players, biggest surprises and the match-ups they are most looking forward to.
Per Johansson is one of European women’s handball’s most experienced coaches. The Swede has coached top clubs and national teams, including CSM București, Rostov-Don and Sweden. He took over at Győri in 2024 and led the Hungarian giants to two consecutive Champions League titles before Metz took over the crown last season.
Karin Weigelt is a former professional player and Swiss international, now working in the development of women’s handball at the Swiss Handball Federation.
Chris O’Reilly is a handball analyst and journalist with extensive experience covering European handball and the Champions League.
Which team has shown the most interesting tactical evolution compared to last season – and what has changed?
Per Johansson: “I have not seen any clear tactical trends like that so far this season.”
Karin Weigelt: “For me, FTC are really interesting this season. They look more balanced and tactically mature, and they don’t seem dependent on one way of winning anymore. They can score 40, but against CSM they showed they can also win a very physical, low-scoring game 24–23. They have more depth and different options now, and with Anna Kristensen behind a strong defence, they have another way to decide games.”
Chris O’Reilly: “FTC stand out for me. Last season, there were games when it felt as though FTC were waiting for one of their big names to light the fuse, but this season it looks like they have a much better idea of what they want to achieve. The big difference is that Jesper Jensen has now been able to mould the team how he sees fit.
With a solid defensive setup and variety in attack that can hurt opposition in a number of ways, this team no longer relies on a few big hitters to get a result. Ironically, just as the team looks to be the right fit for coach Jensen, it was announced that he’ll leave at the end of the season for family reasons. But not they try to make some history together.”
Which player is having a bigger tactical impact than the numbers suggest?
Per Johansson: “The goalkeeper at Storhamar (Eli Marie Raasok). She has a very important impact on the team, even if it may not always be clear in the statistics.”
Karin Weigelt: “I would go with Merel Freriks at Dortmund. As a line player, a lot of her tactical work doesn’t necessarily show up in the statistics. Her movement, screens and timing create spaces for the back court, and Dortmund are using that connection really well at the moment. For me, she is a good example of a player whose value you understand much better when you watch the game than when you only look at the numbers.”
Chris O’Reilly: “Although they haven’t had the toughest start to the season, Brest have been very impressive with their perfect winning record and they will be under the spotlight a lot more with the impending Reistad transfer. In that squad, there is a player who consistently performs above and beyond what the stats show, Annika Lott.
She has the third most assists in the competition so far with 18 and she is an all-round solid player at both ends of the court. Having a player with such versatility allows so much tactical flexibility in the team.”
Which team have impressed you the most so far, and why?
Per Johansson: “Metz. They are in a good trend and they are strong in all phases of the game.”
Karin Weigelt: “Of course Metz, Györ, Esbjerg, FTC and Brest are all showing why they belong among the favourites. But I’ll choose Dortmund because they have surprised me the most. They started with two defeats, then came back from nine goals down to beat CSM and followed that with a difficult away win at Sola. I like the courage they show tactically and the way they react when a game changes. They are probably not a Final Four favourite, but right now they are a team I really enjoy watching.”
Chris O’Reilly: “Defending champions Metz are wearing the crown beautifully so far. Four wins from four and a goal difference of +45, not merely good numbers but signs of a team laying down the gauntlet to this season’s contenders. They have that lovely combination of structure and menace in their play and they have been ruthless so far. Big tests to come but I’m not worries about them.”
Any disappointing teams or players?
Per Johansson: “Odense have had a difficult start, but it is still early in the season. I think they will still be a very dangerous team.”
Karin Weigelt: “Odense are probably my biggest disappointment so far. There is so much individual quality in that squad, but after four rounds they already have three defeats. Losing 23–26 at home to Storhamar underlined that something isn’t quite working yet. Blomberg are also still without a point, but I judge them differently. They are Champions League debutants and this is a huge step up.
From a Swiss perspective, I’m actually happy to see Nuria Bucher getting these games at such a young age. That experience can be extremely valuable for her and for our national team.”
Chris O’Reilly: “Odense have struggled to hit the heights expected of them so far. You can dress it up as a difficult start, a competitive group, a few fine margins, but one win, one draw and two losses is not where Odense will think they should be after four rounds. The home defeat to Storhamar was the sort of result that sticks in the throat because those are the games you need to find a way to win if you want to stay in the hunt for a top three finish in Group B.”
Which match-up are you most looking forward to in this round?
Per Johansson: “ETO against Metz, of course.”
Karin Weigelt: “Györ against Metz, definitely. It’s the rematch of last season’s Champions League final and both teams arrive with four wins from four.
There are also some great individual stories: Sarah Bouktit moved from Metz to Györ, while Kristina Jørgensen went the other way. So you have the two finalists, both unbeaten, key players facing their former clubs and Györ looking for revenge after losing the final in June. It’s only round five, but this feels like an early benchmark for both teams.”
Chris O’Reilly: “It’s all about the Super Saturday with Győr vs Metz and Brest vs FTC. But if I have to choose just one, then Győr vs Metz. Two unbeaten sides and the very best in Europe over the last couple of years. Although it’s early in the season, both will see this as a big chance to test themselves and lay down a marker for the months to come.”