HB Ludwigsburg faces a Champions League challenge against Györi!

HB Ludwigsburg faces a Champions League challenge against Györi!

The 2024/2025 handball season was an exciting and challenging time for HB Ludwigsburg. The team competed in the Women's Handball Champions League in Group B, which became known as the "Group of Death". Here Ludwigsburg had to fight against extremely strong opponents, including the reigning defending champions Györi Audi ETO KC, who have already won six Champions League titles, as well as the semi-finalists Esbjerg and Odense. In addition, they faced teams such as Vipers Kristiansand, Brest Bretagne, Rapid Bucuresti and Buducnost. The challenges were enormous, and Ludwigsburg coach Jakob Vestergaard and his team met the high expectations.

This season, Györi achieved impressive results, dropping just three points in the group stage and winning 25 out of 27 competitive games. In a direct comparison, Ludwigsburg had already suffered two defeats against Györi, with the results being 26:31 and 19:32. These deficits made the task seem even more difficult for the Ludwigsburg women.

Quarterfinal first leg against Györi

HB Ludwigsburg is currently preparing for the quarter-finals of the EHF Champions League, where they will face Györi again. The first leg will take place on Saturday, April 19, 2025, at 4 p.m. in the MHP Arena. Coach Vestergaard emphasizes the need for a world-class performance from his players in order to survive against the strong Györi team, which relies on top international players such as Estelle Nze Minko and Dione Housheer. The game's referees are Jelena Vujacic and Andjelina Kazanegra from Montenegro.

However, the omens are not favorable for Ludwigsburg, as Györi has an extremely strong balance sheet. Vestergaard is hoping for a full hall and numerous spectators to further motivate the team. Tickets for this highly anticipated game are almost sold out, increasing the anticipation for the duel even further. The Ludwigsburg team has played itself into good shape after a recent convincing 34:21 win against Göppingen in the first play-off quarter-final of the Handball Bundesliga Women. This recovery could be crucial to overcome the known weakness against Györi.

The upcoming challenge in the Champions League could not only be an opportunity for rehabilitation for HB Ludwigsburg, but also an important step on the way to further strengthening the team in the international handball scene.

For further details and up-to-date coverage of the Champions League season, visit the articles on Bietigheim newspaper and Sport4Final.