CSM Bucharest's opponent in the Final Four of the League won the French Cup in an incredible way
Article by Adrian Jitea – Published Sunday, May 24, 2026, 8:32 p.m. / Updated Sunday, May 24, 2026, 8:35 p.m.
Metz, the future opponent of CSM Bucharest in the semi-final of the Handball Champions League, won the French Cup. He beat Dijon in the last act, score 33-21.
- This year's Champions League semi-finals are scheduled for June 6: Metz – CSM Bucharest (4:00 p.m.) and Brest – Gyor (19:00);
- The final will be played on June 7, from 19:00.
Accor Arena, the jewel of 20,000 seats in Paris, prepared for the second day of the finals. Yesterday, in the boys competition, Montpellier lifted the trophy in front of Nantes, a 27-24 triumph.
The last act today, at least as tender. Dijon, the new winner of the European Leaguehe had in front of Metz, a team qualified for the Final Four of the Champions League.
Metz, warning for CSM Bucharest
The match started with a special moment. Right winger Laura Flippes (Schneider) has returned to Metz's squad after a 13-month break, during which she became a mother of twins.
The first half was controlled by Metz, score 13-7. A dominant performance from the pivot Sarah Bouktit9 goals from 10 throws. The goalkeeper also stood out Johanna Bundsen11 interventions. Both will leave the team at the end of the season, the first to Gyor, the other to Odense.
The second part continued in the same directions. The Swede between the sticks of Metz blocked another throw from 7 meters. Bouktit continued to score, to a maximum margin of 21-8.
It ended 33-21, emotion-free and injury-free victory with a view to the next big remaining goal, the Champions League Final Four.
Another trophy for Metz
For Metz it is the 14th triumph in the French Cup. In the championship, the dominance of the team trained by Emmanuel Mayonnade will be interrupted.
After 4 consecutive titles (27 in total), he will most likely lose to Brest. The two are tied on points, each with 23 wins and a single defeat.
The difference will be made by a tiebreaker criterion that has since been canceled in European competitions, that of the higher number of goals scored in the direct match away from home. Metz have the superior goal difference, but the direct results were 32-28 at home and 23-27 away.
There are only two games left to play, impossible for Brest to mess up.
