Vice-champions of Europe last year, the Brestoises find Györ exactly eleven months after their victory on penalties in the semi-final of the Champions League at the Papp-Laszlo Arena in Budapest.

But this season, the confrontation takes place a round earlier, in the quarters, with an additional difficulty: the qualification will be played on a return match, much more difficult to thwart the forecasts than an unpredictable semi-final on a single match .

Especially since Györ has only missed one Final 4 (2015), since switching to this formula in 2014, and since the Hungarian side's last European title already dates back to 2019.

"It's still Györ, it's still the best team. It's the benchmark for world handball," said the captain of Brest and the France team, right-winger Coralie Lassource.

Györ's roster this season is indeed dizzying, with Norwegian stars Stine Oftedal, Kari Brattset, Silje Solberg, and French stars Amandine Leynaud, Laura Glauser and Estelle Nze Minko to name but a few.

Slovenian Ana Gros, defended by Norwegian Stine Bredal Oftedal, during the Champions League semi-final between Brest and Gyor (Hungary), May 29, 2021 in Budapest Attila KISBENEDEK AFP / Archives

"Nothing to lose"

"What I want to say is that we have nothing to lose. The pressure must be on their shoulders. They are favorites", slips Coralie Lassource.

Brest seems to have found a recipe to at least annoy Györ, since in the last five matches in the last two seasons, the BBH have lost only once by a small goal, for four draws!

The joy of Frenchwoman Coralie Lassource, after a goal scored against Brazil, during the preliminary round at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, August 2, 2021 Franck FIFE AFP / Archives

"It's different for me this year, we don't have the same team, we don't have the same strengths. Our strengths are different this season. Will it suit against this team? I don't know not, we'll see", specifies the captain, before the first clash between the two teams this season.

The half at the end of May 2021 in Budapest came in the apotheosis of three seasons with a stable workforce with two major players, the Slovenian Ana Gros, and the Swede Isabelle Gullden, who left Brittany in the summer of 2021.

In the game, the Norwegian Helene Fauske took the place at center half and the Polish Monika Kobylinska moved up to the right side of the back base replacing Ana Gros.

A new feat for Brest will depend on the ability of the players of Pablo Morel, who has succeeded Laurent Bezeau as coach since this season, to play collectively and to spin the ball, according to Coralie Lassource.

"From the moment a player wanted to stand out, it was over, because it's a team that recovers the balls and quickly plays the counter-attacks", assures the Brest captain, who arrived in 2019 at BBH.

Reigning French champion, Brest wants to join Metz, which has already ensured the presence of a French club in the Final 4 in Budapest on June 5 and 6.

Two French clubs in the last four, it would be unprecedented for women.

© 2022 AFP