Coming with great ambitions for their first European title, the players from Metz failed in the semi-finals against Kristiansand.
In Budapest: Kristiansand beats Metz 33 to 27 (half-time: 15-14).
Reigning European champions Kristiansand handballers qualified for the Women’s Champions League final after their 33-27 win over France’s Metz in Budapest. The Norwegians, already crowned in Hungary in 2021, will face the Hungarians of Györ, five-time European champions, on Sunday, who qualified at the expense of Esbjerg (32-27) under the encouragement of the Budapest Dome.
Great disappointment for the Messines who had come to play the title, or the final at least… They had a complicated start to the match, passing under the Norwegian steamroller for about twenty minutes, under the blows of the back Czech left Marketa Jerabkova. But the coming into play in goal of young Mélanie Halter (19) to replace Ivana Kapitanovic revived the Dragonnes. While Kristiansand had a +6 ball with Nora Mork (13-8), Halter made her first save, and the Messines regained the score, then took the advantage of a goal at the break thanks to Laura Kanor (15-14). Upon returning from the locker room, Emmanuel Mayonnade’s players returned with the same intentions, leading by one goal for the first five minutes. But in the cage of Kristiansand, Katrine Lunde closed the shop (sixteen saves), while the Norwegians again found the solutions in attack, the surprise effect of Mélanie Halter having passed. The end of the match was difficult for Kristiansand, who squandered part of their lead of seven goals (28-21) at the start of the last ten minutes. Metz came back to four goals (29-25) seven minutes from the end, but Jerabkova (twelve goals in total in the game) carried her team to the final, like the performance of Henny Reistad who carried Kristiansand to the title.
The Messines will try to remobilize to get on the podium against Esbjerg on Sunday, which they failed to do in 2019 against Kristiansand, after a defeat in the semis against the Russians of Rostov.