FTC reach quarter-final with a draw; Bistrita write history in MOTW

• Dortmund fought hard and led by three goals on a few occasions early in the second half, but FTC weathered the storm, as their goalkeeper Laura Glauser made 15 saves
• Dortmund reached the play-offs for the third time in their three EHF Champions League season, but they are yet to progress further
• in the quarter-final, FTC will meet Metz Handball, whom they eliminated at the same stage in the 2022/23 season before losing all four games in the group phase of the two following campaigns
• Bistrita will also face French rivals in the quarter-final, Brest Bretagne Handball; the two teams have never met in the continental top flight
• the Romanian side claimed their fourth straight win in the competition, reaching the EHF Champions League quarter-final for the first time
• 14 goals by Bistrita's Danila So Delgado helped her to climb to the second place in the tournament's scoring chart with a tally of 104 goals

PLAY-OFFS, SECOND LEG

FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) vs BV Borussia Dortmund (GER) 27:27 (12:12)

First leg result: 31:25. FTC won 58:52 on aggregate
H2H: 2-2-0
Top scorers: Petra Simon 9/15 (FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria), Alina Grijseels 8/11 (BV Borussia Dortmund)

The home side had a slow start, scoring just one goal in the opening nine minutes. Dortmund led 3:1 and 4:2, but gradually FTC started to find their rhythm. Powered by Petra Simon in attack, they drew level several times, but pulled in front for the first time only in the 23rd minute, when Vilde Ingstad handed them a 9:8 lead. The rivals were level at the break, but early into the second half, goals by Emma Olsson and Alina Grijseels secure Dortmund a 15:12 advantage.

However, then Olsson received a red card for the third two-minute suspension, and FTC turned the tide. Simon and Angela Malestein led by example in attack, while Laura Glauser did a good job in goal, and the home side did not concede a single goal between the 43rd and 53rd minutes. Following a 4:0 run, they enjoyed a 24:21 lead with eight minutes to go, and although Dortmund drew level in the end, it was FTC who progressed.

MOTW: Gloria Bistrita (ROU) vs Ikast Håndbold (DEN) 37:28 (16:15)

First leg result: 35:34. Bistrita won 72:62 on aggregate
H2H: 2-0-2
Top scorers: Danila So Delgado 14/19 (Gloria Bistrita), Jamina Roberts 7/7 (Ikast Håndbold)

Cheered by their home crowd, Bistrita enjoyed a better start of the game. But despite the goals by Danila So Delgado and Lorena Ostase, the Romanian side could not pull clear by more than two goals. In turn, Ikast used a 3:0 run spurred by Emilie Arntzen to take their first lead in the match, 7:6. The game levelled off, but late in the opening half, some saves by Renata De Arruda helped hosts create a one-goal advantage at the interval.

Ikast's goalkeeping duo had little impact before the break, but as the match resumed, Amalie Milling's string of saves helped her team to turn the tide for a while. Bistrita looked somewhat nervous, trailing 23:21 in the 42nd minute, but So Delgado – who was named Player of the Match - stepped up at the right time, as her four goals in five minutes boosted her team's confidence. Now Bistrita gained the momentum, and just like in the first leg, they were clearly dominant in the last 10 minutes, cruising to a nine-goal win.