The two teams are used to facing off in the EHF Champions League Women quarter-finals — in four of the last five seasons, their paths crossed at this exact stage of the competition.
On every previous occasion — in 2022, 2023, and 2025 — it was Esbjerg who had the upper hand and progressed to the FINAL4. But on Sunday, CSM finally managed to break the curse and will travel to Budapest after an eight-year wait, while no Danish side is left in the competition, as Odense Håndbold were eliminated by defending champions Gyor on Saturday.
Cheered by their home crowd, CSM looked very inspired from the very beginning, and their 6-0 lead gave them a moral boost. Esbjerg could not find any solutions against the hosts, who played well both as a team and individually.
Evelina Eriksson stepped up with her multiple saves, while Elizabeth Omoregie had an amazing performance, scoring and setting up goals. And while Henny Reistad added six goals to her tally, she also missed many chances and did not have her best day, just like the entire Danish team.