Two Danish teams complete quarter-finals line-up

• Esbjerg have reached the quarter-finals for the fifth season in a row; they also progressed to the EHF FINAL4 in all four previous seasons
• goalkeeper Anna Kristensen stood like a wall, recording 17 saves for a nearly 52 per cent save rate; her teammate, Henny Reistad, netted six times and continues to top the competition's scoring chart with 116 goals
• in the quarter-finals, Esbjerg will meet CSM Bucuresti, whom they eliminated at the same stage last season, 55:52 on aggregate
• in turn, Odense will face Győri Audi ETO KC in a rematch of last season's final, which the Hungarian side won 29:27
• Odense have reached the EHF Champions League quarter-finals for the fourth consecutive season

PLAY-OFFS, SECOND LEG

Team Esbjerg (DEN) vs HC Podravka (CRO) 31:29 (15:16)

First leg result: 37:26; Team Esbjerg won 68:55 on aggregate
H2H: 4-0-0
Top scorers: Elin Hansson 9/11 (Team Esbjerg); Sara Šenvald 9/14 (HC Podravka)

Esbjerg enjoyed a good start, and three goals by Henny Reistad secured their 4:1 lead seven minutes into the match. Midway through the first half, the Danish team were still leading by three goals (9:6), but then their mistakes resulted in Podravka's 4:0 run, which allowed the visitors to turn the tide. Katarina Pandža scored four of her six goals before the break, and the Croatian side had a one-goal advantage after 30 minutes.

In the second half, Podravka increased the gap to four goals, punishing Esbjerg for their mistakes, and while the Danish team was never in serious danger, their coach Tomas Axnér needed a timeout to cheer up his players. Esbjerg's goalkeeper Anna Kristensen, who replaced Katharina Filter late in the first half, stepped up between the posts, and her multiple saves helped the hosts turn things around and claim a win.

Odense Håndbold (DEN) vs DVSC Schaeffler (HUN) 34:34 (13:16)

First leg result: 37:32. Odense Håndbold won 71:66 on aggregate
H2H: 3-1-0
Top scorers: Thale Rushfeldt Deila 9/11 (Odense Håndbold); Petra Tóvizi 6/6 (DVSC Schaeffler)

A five-goal away win in the first leg gave Odense a good chance to reach the quarter-finals, but after six minutes in Denmark, the home team's position looked shaky. Thanks to the goals by Alicia Toublanc and Kristin Thorleifsdottir, Debrecen used a 5:0 run to pull in front (6:2), forcing Odense's coach Jakob Verstergaard to take an early timeout. However, it hardly helped, as the visitors continued to dominate and were leading by five goals (15:10) two minutes before the break.

But then Odense finally found their rhythm and started to catch up, drawing level in the 40th minute at 22:22. Debrecen converted just two of their seven penalty shots, as Odense's goalkeeper Yara ten Holte finished the game with 14 saves. In the last 20 minutes, the game was very balanced, and the home team felt comfortable, ultimately snatching a draw after Andrea Aagot Hansen's goal with 22 seconds to go and Océane Sercien-Ugolin's last-second penalty miss.

Main photo © Niels Husted