Team Esbjerg and Metz Handball Seize Early Control as EHF Champions League Women Standings Take Shape

The 2026/27 EHF Champions League Women season has officially thrown off, and the opening weekend has immediately separated the title contenders from the debutants. Following the first round of group stage matches on September 5 and 6, 2026, the race for the coveted direct quarter-final spots is already taking shape. With the tournament's unforgiving format—where only the top two teams from each eight-team group bypass the grueling play-off round—securing early points on the road has become the ultimate currency.[1][5]

In Group A, Team Esbjerg and FTC-Toyota Kovács have surged to the top of the standings, both boasting identical +9 goal differentials after dominant opening performances. Esbjerg dismantled BV Borussia Dortmund 33:24, driven by a 10-goal masterclass from three-time Champions League top scorer Henny Reistad. Meanwhile, FTC proved too strong for OTP Group Buducnost, securing a 29:20 victory behind Elizabeth Omoregie, who netted seven goals on her debut for the Hungarian side.[1][4]

Brest Bretagne Handball also secured a crucial two points on the road in Group A, defeating Norwegian side Sola Håndballklubb 29:25. Under the guidance of new head coach Tomáš Hlavatý, Brest executed a flawless offensive game plan. Onacia Ondono was perfect from the floor, converting all eight of her shot attempts, while goalkeeper Camille Depuiset anchored the defense with a 50 percent save rate in her 30 minutes on the court.[1][2][3]

Over in Group B, defending champions Metz Handball wasted no time asserting their dominance, storming to the top of the table with a decisive 32:23 win over Storhamar Håndball Elite. Right behind them in the standings is Romanian side Gloria Bistrita, who spoiled HSG Blomberg-Lippe's Champions League debut with a 28:23 victory. Danila So Delgado led Bistrita's late-game surge with seven goals, while Nina Engel and Helena Paulo added five apiece to seal the win in the final ten minutes.[1][4][6]

The most dramatic shift in the early Group B standings came from an all-Danish clash, where Odense Håndbold and Nykøbing Falster Håndbold battled to a thrilling 27:27 draw. Nykøbing's Swedish left wing Clara Lerby emerged as the competition's early top scorer, netting 12 times to secure a hard-fought point for her squad against a heavily favored Odense side led by Anna Vyakhireva's six goals.[1][2]

The stakes for these early matches are exceptionally high. The 16 teams are divided into two groups of eight, playing a double round-robin format through February 2027. Teams finishing third through sixth will be forced into a treacherous home-and-away play-off round just to reach the quarter-finals. For debutants like Blomberg-Lippe and rebuilding squads like Buducnost—who are navigating absences and early red cards—falling behind in September can mathematically jeopardize their knockout stage hopes by December.[1][5]

As the standings solidify heading into Matchday 2, the pressure is mounting on the teams at the bottom of the table to respond. Borussia Dortmund pivot Merel Freriks, preparing to face her former club Brest, summarized the razor-thin margins of the competition: "Brest is an absolute top team on the European stage... Brest plays an incredibly fast, forward-driven handball. We need to be on from the very start. That is absolutely crucial."[7]

The upcoming fixtures will immediately test the resilience of the early frontrunners. Matchday 2 features a headline clash between Metz Handball and Gloria Bistrita, pitting two of Group B's opening-round winners against each other. Meanwhile, Team Esbjerg and Sola Håndballklubb will meet for the first time in Europe's top flight, a matchup that could either cement Esbjerg's lead or throw Group A into early chaos.[7]