Brest make impressive comeback; home wins for Dortmund and Odense

• in their first official meeting, Odense took a strong win against Sola after a convincing first half — Andrea Nørklit Jørgensen made 12 saves, seven of them before the break
• Anna Vyakhireva’s 12 goals led Brest to a comeback as they celebrated their first win against Ikast
• Brest remained the only perfect team in group B, keeping pace with the five straight victories of Györi Audi ETO KC and Metz Handball in group A
• BVB grabbed their second home win, defeating Buducnost with the help of Alina Grijseels
• for the Montenegrin side, eight goals from Jelena Radivojevic were not enough to claim their first points — Buducnost and Sola remain the only two clubs still without points this season

GROUP A

BV Borussia Dortmund (GER) vs OTP Group Buducnost (MNE) 30:24 (13:13)

H2H: 2-0-3
Top scorers: Alina Grijseels 6/8 (BV Borussia Dortmund), Jelena Radivojevic 8/11 (OTP Group Buducnost)

Buducnost failed to grab their first win of the season as BVB produced a strong performance in the second half and took their second victory in this EHF Champions League campaign. After Borussia’s strong start, Armelle Attingré and Jelena Radivojevic sparked the turnaround with key saves and goals, helping the visitors open a 9:6 lead. But BVB refused to fold — Alina Grijseels and Dana Bleckmann stepped up in the closing minutes, breaking Buducnost’s flow and securing the equaliser (11:11) five minutes before the half-time buzzer.

The back-and-forth game continued until the final 10 minutes, when BVB found new energy and completely turned the game around, propelling it to a four-goal run and setting a 25:21 lead. They made the most of Buducnost's errors — 16 of them — and comfortably won by six.

GROUP B

Odense Håndbold (DEN) vs Sola HK (NOR) 32:27 (17:7)

H2H: 1-0-0
Top scorers: Maren Aardahl 4/4, Helene Fauske 4/7, Thale Rushfeldt Deila 4/6, Andrea Aagot 4/5 (Odense Håndbold); Kaja Haugseng 6/6 (Sola HK)

Odense had no trouble sealing their third win of the season. They dominated on home court, building a commanding 10-goal lead at half-time through a rock-solid defensive display. Andrea Nørklit Jørgensen proved an unsolvable puzzle for Sola’s attack, producing save after save and reaching a 50 per cent efficiency by the break. The tone was set early — Sola scored their first goal only in the eighth minute and their second in the 18th — leaving Odense with all the space they needed to create a comfortable cushion for the remainder of the half. Sola tried to break the curse with an extra attacking player, but failed to do so.

The second half brought a better rhythm from the Norwegian side, and Camilla Herrem, together with Kaja Haugseng, helped narrow the gap to five. However, the damage from the opening 30 minutes proved too great to overcome, as Odense calmly closed out a well-deserved victory.

Ikast Håndbold (DEN) vs Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) 33:36 (17:14)

H2H: 2-0-1
Top scorers: Stine Skogrand 9 (Ikast Håndbold), Anna Vyakhireva 12 (Brest Bretagne Handball)

Brest made a late comeback in Denmark to remain perfect. Ikast used their home court to the fullest in the first half, pushing the leading team of the group to their limits. After a balanced 20 minutes, the Danish defence tightened, shutting down Brest's attack and leaving the French side exposed. Quick transitions then made the difference, as Julie Scaglione and Cecilie Brandt led the charge, driving Ikast to a four-goal advantage at 14:10 and taking control of the first half.

The momentum continued early in the second half, as Ikast widened the gap to six within just three minutes (21:15). But a much-needed timeout changed the tone of the match. Brest responded with a 4:0 run, shifting the rhythm, and the game tilted completely in the 48th minute when the French side grabbed the lead (27:26). With Anna Vyakhireva pulling the strings and driving the comeback with 12 goals, Brest never looked back, holding off every attempt from Ikast and sealing a hard-earned away win.

Main photo © HAMISTOLEN.DK