Article by Costi Prună – Published on Saturday, 25 October 2025, 16:52 / Updated on Saturday, 25 October 2025 17:01
Gloria Bistrita is NOW playing on “Teraplast Arena” against Esbjerg, in the 5th stage of the Champions League. The match started at 17:00 and is broadcast liveTEXT on GSP.ro and live on Digi Sport 2 and Prima Sport 4.
After a two-week break caused by the matches of the national teams in the 2026 European Championship qualifiers and Euro Cup matches, Gloria Bistrita returns to the Champions League and will play against the Danish team Esbjerg.
In Play » Gloria Bistrita – Esbjerg 0-0
Bistrita is in 5th place in the group with 4 points, obtained from 2 victories, and in the last stage they lost at Gyor with 18-33. In the national championship, Gloria lost the derby with CSM Bucharest on Wednesday, score 28-29, a match in which Pinto Delgado scored 11 goals.
Carlos Viver: “It will be difficult, let's block Reistad and Mork!”
For a long time, the coach of the Transylvanian formation, the Spaniard Carlos Viver will not be able to use Jennifer Gutierrez and Asuka Fujita, who were injured in the national teams.
Gutierrez will miss about a month with a torn muscle, and Fujita will return next season due to knee surgery.
“All Champions League games are tough, but the one with Esbjerg is extremely tough. Esbjerg is one of the best teams in the competition, with huge experience at this level.
It will be a difficult mission to lock down Reistad and Mork, but we will do our best in front of our fans”, said Gloria's coach, Carlos Viver, for the EHF website.
A possible first “7” for Gloria Bistrita: Arruda, Kerekes, Delgado, Nusser, Arcos, Seraficeanu, Ostase.
Tomas Axner: “It matters what we will play!”
Esbjerg still has 4 points after 4 stages, but superstars Henny Reistad and Nora Mork make the Danish team a Final Four contender.
The team coached by Swede Tomas Axner lost the derbies with Metz and Gyor by one goal each, but the Scandinavians played excellent handball. Esbjerg is stronger than at the start of the season as Kathrine Heindahl and Marit Jacobsen are back in the squad.
For today's match, Esbjerg is the bookies' favorite with odds of 1.18-1.25, while Gloria is priced at 5.20-5.90.
“Gloria Bistrița is a strong team, with a large squad and players of several nationalities. The players are very strong in attack, they have very good qualities.
It is important for us to start the game well, it matters what we will play. We have more things with which we can threaten their defense and we will evolve with ambition to win,” coach Tomas Axner told the club's website.
A likely first '7' for Esbjerg: Kristensen, Solberg, Haugsted, Reistad, Mork, Jacobsen, Heindahl.
