Dijon not only defended their four-goal lead from the first leg, but went on to defeat HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames once again, this time by two goals. On the other hand, Ikast prevailed in Romania. The former EHF European League Women winners from 2022/23 needed a late goal by Emma Lindqvist in the dying seconds to eliminate H.C. Dunarea Braila in dramatic fashion and secure a place in Graz.
The draw for the final tournament will take place on Tuesday (1 April) at 15:00 CEST in Vienna.
QUARTER-FINALS, SECOND LEG
HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames (GER) vs JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball (FRA) 26:28 (12:15)
JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball win 59:53 on aggregate
The inspired Flames began the match on the front foot, chasing Dijon's four-goal advantage from the first leg and Nina Engel & co. took an early three-goal lead (5:2) in the opening minutes to fire up the atmosphere in the stands. However, the French club was not willing to give up so easily and everything changed when Ann-Cathrin Giegerich stepped on the scene. The world-class goalkeeper made life difficult for the hosts by making incredible 13 saves and recording sky-high 54 per cent of save efficiency by half-time, letting her teammates mount a comeback and take a crucial lead at the break. With each passing minute in the second half, the pressure was growing on Heike Ahlgrimm's squad, while the Dijon-based club held the psychological edge and took every chance to strengthen their position. In the end, Dijon celebrated a victory and thus, securing a place in the EHF Finals for the first time in the club's history.
H.C. Dunarea Braila (ROU) vs Ikast Håndbold (DEN) 30:29 (16:17)
Ikast Håndbold win 61:60 on aggregate
The fulfilled stands in the Romeo Iamandi hall in Buzau were bouncing even before throw-off, but Ikast Håndbold were not too fazed by the hectic environment at the beginning as Søren Hansen's rushed into a six-goal lead (9:15), which seemed untouchable at the time. In a fast-paced finish to the opening half, the hosts proved exactly the opposite, as Kristina Liscevic was at the heart of H.C. Dunarea Braila's revival and the Serbian playmaker equalized (16:16) seconds before the break, but Emma Lindqvist beat the buzzer (16:17) to set up an even more exciting second half. With the Romanian club needing a three-goal win to progress, Jan Leslie Lund's squad turned on the heat and took over the lead (22:21) in the 42nd minute and even led by a couple of goals with only seconds to go, but Emma Lindqvist crushed Braila's dreams with a goal in the dying seconds to set up the final result and send Ikast to Graz, when it looked like the winner was going to be decided by the penalty shootout.
