Glad to Have Been Wrong at Least About CSM Bucharest
After initially finding it probable that Romania will once again fail to have any team in the Final Four of the EHF Women’s Champions’ League, last month I restated that assessment but also hoped to be proven wrong. And today I was, CSM Bucharest finally finding a way past Esbjerg, after having met and lost to them in this stage of the competition in 2022, 2023 and 2025. And they had also lost, albeit by a single goal and away, in the first leg. But today they simply trashed Esbjerg, winning by ten goals a match that started with them leading 6-0 before Esbjerg scored the first goal, and during which they never seemed to be in any danger of failing to qualify.
On the other hand, Brest proved to be far too much for Gloria Bistrita, who lost by six goals, away, after having also lost by one in the first leg, at home. Admittedly, during the first half they looked good, leading most of the time, often by two goals and a couple of times even by three. But things changed towards the end of that first half, which finished with Brest leading by one goal, and in the second half Gloria just collapsed, never giving any impression that they could recover.
Still, the last time we’ve had a team in the Final Four was in 2018, so CSM qualifying, especially when it was against their “nightmare” from recent seasons, is already something. It does feel rather weird to have it happen in the first season without Cristina Neagu, but let’s not turn that into a reason for complaints and just look at what’s ahead, the draw being tomorrow. Admittedly, since all other favorites, so also including Gyor and Metz, qualified as well, my impression is that CSM is the weakest of the four and fourth place is the most likely. But maybe they’ll prove me wrong once again and at least make it into the final.
