Team Esbjerg’s unbeaten start to the Women’s EHF Champions League season ended on Sunday 11 October with a 34:31 defeat at CSM Bucuresti in round five. It was a mixed day for Danish clubs, as Odense Håndbold won 35:18 away at HSG Blomberg-Lippe while Nykøbing Falster Håndbold lost 35:38 at home to Gloria Bistrita.
In Bucharest, CSM led 18:17 at half-time in a rematch of last season’s quarter-final. Nine different players scored for the Romanian side, and goalkeeper Catherine Gabriel made several important saves. Tyra Axnér was among CSM’s top scorers with five goals against the club coached by her father, Tomas Axnér. Live Rushfeldt Deila led Esbjerg with seven goals, and she combined with Elin Hansson and Helene Hansen for 19 in total, but it was not enough to avoid a first loss of the season. “It’s always tough to play in Bucharest,” the Esbjerg coach said.
Odense bounced back from their round four defeat in emphatic fashion. Blomberg-Lippe went the first 11 minutes without a goal as the Danish side moved 6:0 ahead, and Odense led 20:10 at the break. Anna Vyakhireva and Romee Maarschalkeweerd scored six goals each, while goalkeepers Johanna Bundsen and Yara ten Holte made 13 and five saves respectively, both stopping half of the shots they faced. Blomberg coach Steffen Birkner was blunt: “Odense were the better team today and performed several levels above us.”
Nykøbing traded the lead with Gloria for the first 20 minutes before a 5:0 run helped the visitors to a 17:12 advantage. The Romanians were 19:15 up at half-time. Nykøbing cut the gap to 20:22, and Mia Solberg Svele made it 28:31 in the 51st minute, but Danila So Delgado and Johanna Reichert combined for 17 second-half goals to secure Gloria’s third win of the season. Svele and Clara Lerby scored eight each for the hosts, and Lerby’s total of 43 makes her the top scorer in the competition.
Gloria and Odense were the only away winners among the six matches played on Sunday. Elsewhere, OTP Group Buducnost edged Sola Håndballklubb 23:22 for their first win of the season, ending a nine-match losing run in the competition. Sola, who had only 12 players available, missed a nine-metre throw and a final shot after the buzzer. Borussia Dortmund beat Krim 37:31 for a third straight victory, and Storhamar beat HC Podravka 33:25.
