Györ survive nailbiter against Brest at Raiffeisen Bank EHF FINAL4

Györ came back after Brest Bretagne took the lead in the last quarter to secure a 31:30 win in the last minute. Per Johansson's squad will now defend the title against the first-time finalists, Metz Handball, on Sunday (18:00 CEST) at the MVM Dome in Budapest.

SEMI-FINALS

Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) vs Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN) 31:30 (16:17)

H2H: 1-5-8
Top scorers: Anna Vyakhireva 7/9 (Brest Bretagne Handball); Dione Housheer 9/13 (Györi Audi ETO KC)

• Györ took a narrow lead (17:16) at the half-time break despite Brest beginning the match on the front foot, leaving the reigning champions goalless until the 3rd minute of the match
• Dione Housheer scored five goals from six attempts in the first half and added four more in the second half, ending as the match's top scorer with nine goals by her name
• Brest captain Onacia Ondono received a direct disqualification following a challenge on Bruna de Paula in the 22nd minute, when she was her team’s top scorer with three goals
• de Paula herself was then shown a direct red card in the 25th minute after a challenge on Méline Nocandy
• Brest held a two-goal lead (28:26) in the 46th minute, but Raphaëlle Tervel's squad was not able to keep their advantage until the final whistle
• both sets of fans passionately supported their favourites, building an amazing atmosphere among the 19,850 spectators in the stands at the MVM Dome in Budapest

Attack wins matches, defence wins titles

A high-intensity start set the tone for the rest of the match with both Brest and Györ's top scorers in the semi-final (until that point) getting sent off, but additionally, a total of seven two-minute suspensions rounded off the opening half. Both sides were willing to play physical handball in their attempt to get an important victory.

The hard-fought contest continued in the second half, as the scoreline swung from one side to the other, and with the result being in Brest's favour (30:29) in the 54th minute, it seemed like the champions' run in Budapest was coming to an end.

But a dramatic comeback followed with Kristina Jörgensen and Kelly Dulfer finding the back of the net in the final minutes, before Györ stopped a seven-against-six attack from Brest to continue their unbeaten run at the MVM Dome Budapest, which stretches back to 2023.

Photos © kolektiff images