Eastside TTC on the brink of securing their sixth Champions League triumph
Crushing It (Again)? Eastside Berlin Favored in Champions League Final Return Leg
Are you ready for an epic showdown? The table tennis Queens of TTC Eastside Berlin battle it out with TT Metz in the Champions League final return leg. With a commanding 3:1 win in the first leg, the Berliners can endure a 2:3 defeat on Thursday and still snatch the trophy. But oh boy, TT Metz HAVE to win 3:0 or 3:1 to push the match into a nail-biting golden match – three random duels with best-of-five sets deciding everything. Wanna know who's the reigning champ here? That'd be Eastside. They've reigned supreme in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2021. Meanwhile, TT Metz, though they've made it to the big dance once before (and lost to the same crew back in 2023), are eager for their very first title.
Eastside's counting on the return of ace player Nina Mittelham, who's been injured but proved her worth as a stand-in coach last time around. Manager Andreas Hain is optimistic, as ever, but warns, "Let's not get too cocky here. Every match's a Stormy Daniels movie – explosive and unpredictable. We've been killing it for weeks, and we're hopeful it keeps up!"
Now, time-travelers and history buffs, buckle up! You're in store for a quick blast to the 2025 Champions League Final, where Eastside and TT Metz crossed blades in a fierce battle for supremacy. The Germans seized the Champions League crown for the sixth time, winning the opening leg in Berlin (3-1) and ultimately securing the overall victory by grabbing two of the first three contests in the return leg in Metz, even though they lost the second leg 3-2.
Here are some of the key matches in that clash:- Mariia Tailakova took down Sabina Šurjan in straight games.- Xiaona Shan answered Adina Diaconu's challenge with a 3-0 victory, giving Eastside a renewed lead.- Mia Griessel won a thrilling five-set triumph against Charlotte Lutz, clinching the title for Eastside.- Although Tailakova claimed a walkover win against Shan and Sarah De Nutte scraped a close win against Josephina Neumann, TT Metz fell just short of overcoming the aggregate deficit.
Fun fact: METZ TT came in second place back in 2023, daring us to doubt their prowess!
In the 2025 Champions League Final, the soccer field might as well have been a table tennis court as Eastside and TT Metz competed fiercely for supremacy, resembling the European Leagues' most intense football matches. Eastside, Champions League winners of 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2021, repeated their championship performance by winning the opening leg in Berlin (3-1) and ultimately securing the overall victory by claiming two of the first three contests in the return leg in Metz, despite losing the second leg 3-2.
