CS Gloria Bistrița edge Debrecen VSC Schaeffler 32–31 to secure fourth place in Group A
CS Gloria Bistrița edge Debrecen VSC Schaeffler 32–31 to secure fourth place in Group A
Bistrița, Romania – CS Gloria Bistrița claimed a narrow 32–31 (16–17) home victory over Debrecen VSC Schaeffler in the penultimate round of Group A of the Women’s EHF Champions League, mathematically securing fourth place and a spot in the play-offs for the quarter-finals.
Played at the TeraPlast Arena, the match ended a four-game losing streak for the Romanian side in the group phase. Debrecen, sitting fifth before the round, led 17–16 at halftime after capitalizing on several one-on-one situations. Gloria responded after the break, improving defensive intensity and managing the closing minutes with composure.
The decisive moments came in crunch time, with the hosts holding their nerve to protect a one-goal advantage until the final whistle.
Key performers
For Gloria, Danila Delgado scored 8 goals, followed by Larissa Nusser with 6. Alicia Gutiérrez and Paula Arcos added 4 each, while Oana Ostase contributed 3. Nina Forsberg and Monika Kobylinska netted 2 apiece, and Sonia Seraficeanu, Kaba Gassama and Bianca Stoica each scored once. Goalkeeper Nicole De Arruda recorded 11 saves (26%).
Debrecen’s top scorers were Toublanc, Hamori and Jovovic with 6 goals each. Petrus added 4, while Tovizi, Ivancok, Vamos and Thorleifsdottir scored twice. Ryde made 6 saves and Placzek added one.
Coaches react
Carlos Viver, head coach of Gloria, highlighted the competitive nature of the contest:
“It was a really high level game. Both of the teams could win this game. In defense, the team fought for 60 minutes, but I think DVSC have a high quality team and we had to work very very hard. I think this result assured us the 4th place and I wanna congratulate my players for this win and for the placement in EHF CL competition until now.”
Centre back Larissa Nusser emphasized the team’s focus:
“Thank you for a nice game. We prepared the game good, they have a good defense and they run good but we were really focused today. We adapted and we tried to learn from ourselves, we stayed calm and we succeeded in the end.”
From the visitors’ side, left back Jovana Jovovic said:
“Congratulations to Bistrita, it was nice to play here, always good to play in front of this fans. We know our mistakes and weak points, we know where we need to improve. It’s always sad when you lose but it was really nice to play here.”
Debrecen head coach Zoltan Szilagyi added:
“Congratulations to Bistrita. It was a tough game, exciting and the 2 points were decided in crunch time. It was a great game due to the fans, great atmosphere in a sportsmanlike manner. We didn’t start so good in defense and we lost on 1 vs. 1 situations. We had some problems but we always overcome the difficulties, we came back. I am proud of my girls and I hope we can keep our performance in the future.”
What’s next
With fourth place in Group A secured, Gloria will face the fifth-placed team from Group B in the play-off round for the quarter-finals. The first leg is scheduled away on 21 March, with the return match at home on 29 March. Danish side Ikast Handbold are the likely opponents.
The final group match, away at Storhamar on 22 February (15:00), will not affect Gloria’s standings but will count for overall record and momentum heading into the knockout phase.
Elsewhere in Round 13 of Group A, Esbjerg defeated Győr 33–28, Metz beat Dortmund 33–24, and Storhamar won 26–22 in Podgorica.