What a thriller. What a comeback. After a four-goal deficit 10 minutes from the end, SC Magdeburg secured a 28:27 victory in the second-leg Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2024/25 Quarter-final at Veszprém — exactly the result they needed to clinch their berth for the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 for the third consecutive time
Icelander Gisli Kristjansson took the 2022/23 title winners back to Cologne with a buzzer-beating goal
while One Veszprém HC missed the EHF FINAL4 for the third straight time
The top scorers in the true thriller were Felix Claar with seven goals for Magdeburg and Ludovic Fabregas for Veszprém
who netted six times for the Hungarian side
Magdeburg, who joined Füchse Berlin and HBC Nantes in the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2025 line-up with the victory, now wait to learn their opponents through the semi-final draw on Friday 2 May at 14:00 CEST
MOTW: One Veszprém HC (HUN) vs SC Magdeburg (GER) 27:28 (13:13)Magdeburg win 54:53 on aggregate
SC Magdeburg were shaken by Wisla Plock in the quarter-finals
but made it to Cologne for the first time and raised the trophy
coach Bennet Wiegert’s team needed a penalty shootout against Kielce to book their ticket to the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4
Veszprém seemed out of reach of the two-time EHF Champions League winners several times
Magdeburg were hit hard by an early injury to top scorer Matthias Musche
It took the hosts 57 minutes until they were ahead for the first time and they secured a lucky draw
when they were ahead 26:22 — but you should never write off SCM
The home side got nervous and made several mistakes
Two Swedes punished the hosts with a 5:0 run
as Claar struck four times and Albin Lagergren once
After both coaches took their final timeouts in the last 100 seconds
Agustin Casado and Luka Cindric missed Veszprém’s last chances — and Kristjansson sent SCM back to Cologne
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DRAW: Recent champions meet and potential first-time winners clash in hotly-anticipated semi-finals after TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 semi-final…
DRAW: The four sides who made it through the qualification tournaments now know who they will face in Cologne
QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: A 30:29 victory for Szeged was not enough to book their first ticket to Cologne
QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: 2018 finalists end Sporting CP’s Machineseeker EHF Champions League journey with second quarter-final win
QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: After a nine-goal win in the first leg
HANDBALL THROUGH MY EYES: Versatile One Veszprém back Nedim Remili reveals why he loves handball
OFFICIAL STATEMENT: Court of Handball issues further decision regarding withdrawal of Vipers from EHF Champions League
STATS COUNTER: Julian Rux analyses the data to provide statistical insights for the Match of the Week
Barça and Nates enter the reverse fixtures of the quarter-finals as winners
Veszprem HC returned to the final of the IHF Men’s Club World Championship for the first time in nine years
after a dramatic win in the semi-final against FC Barcelona
which needed a strong comeback for the Hungarian side
which had dominated the first 45 minutes of the match
Barcelona will now head to the bronze medal match
as their drought in the world club handball flagship competition is now extended to five years
the last title for the most decorated side coming in 2019
There were plenty of storylines colliding in the first semi-final of the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship
trying to secure their maiden finals berth since 2015
securing the title at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship five times
centre back Luka Cindric and line player Ludovic Fabregas
with the two sides knowing each other fully well
having played six times in the last three years
with Barcelona taking four wins in those matches
highlighted by bringing Pascual this summer
brandishing their fast-paced style of handball
in what was expected to be a high-scoring match
Yet with Barcelona needing to change the goalkeeper
after Gonzalo Perez de Vargas saved only one of the first 11 shots he faced
Barcelona – undefeated this season – were quick to correct their mistakes
despite making six turnovers in the first half
But where Veszprem really shined was the goalkeeping department
with Rodrigo Corrales having a 43% saving efficiency
Veszprem controlled the pace and the match
forcing their opponents to score with only 50% of their shots
the reigning Machineseeker EHF Champions League winners
failed to really get their attacking properly going
But as Dika Mem scored four goals and dished two assists
when Ludovic Fabregas scored Veszprem’s first goal of the second half
with Mem improving his overall tally to nine goals
as the Spanish side was only one goal down
As Veszprem reverted to their original line-up
Nedim Remili and Yehia Elderaa in the back line
Barcelona forced Pascual to take a team time-out
after the Spanish powerhouse tied the score
to take the reigning Champions League winners to a 29:27 lead
With goals from Hugo Descat and Yehia Elderaa
who were Veszprem’s best scorers in the regular time
with Barcelona having 39 seconds to make or break this match
But when Aleix Gomez missed a penalty with 13 seconds left
only for the last gasp shot of Sergei Kosorotov to hit the post
the Hungarian side used a 4:1 run in the first five minutes to create a 33:30 lead
as the Spanish side’s attack failed to really get the needed goals
There was no question about the winner as the time passed
who were the team’s best scorers and combined for 24 goals
with Remili having four of Veszprem’s 10 goals in the extra-time
Veszprem will play for the title on Thursday
with Xavi Pascual’s side aiming to become the first Hungarian team to seal the trophy
after conceding the final of the 2015 edition
Barcelona have missed the final of the competition for the second time in a row
and will have to wait at least one more year for their sixth trophy in the IHF Men’s Club World Championship
Player of the Match: Yehia Elderaa (Veszprem HC)
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FC Barcelona have missed out on the chance to fight for the World Club Championship in Egypt after losing in extra time 39-34 to Hungarian side Veszprém at the semi final stage
After 60 minutes of regular time in which the blaugranes came close to taking the victory
their challenge ended in 10 extra minutes in the last four
The rivalry between the blaugranes and the Hungarians is one of the biggest in European handball
On Tuesday it reached the world stage in the semi final of the World Club Championship
Veszprém coach is none other than former Barça boss Xavi Pascual with former blaugranes Ludovic Fabregas and Luka Cindric amongst their squad
Once the game was in motion then it became clear that Carlos Ortega's Barça side had a challenge on their hands
The Hungarians took an 8-5 lead early on and held it to 11-8 despite four goals from Barça Dika Mem
Danish goalkeeper Nielsen came on for the blaugranes and made four stops almost immediately to help whittle away the lead to 14-13
Veszprém keeper Corrales made an excellent save to prevent Barça equalising and at half Barça trailed by two at 15-13
Carlos Ortega's team finally brought themselves level at 25-25
Ariño then sent the blaugranes ahead at 27-26 for the first time in the game since the early minutes
A great goal from Dika Mem put Barça in sight of victory at 29-27 but the Hungarians rallied to make it 29-29
Aleix Gómez missed a penalty with 20 second remaining and the game went into extra time
Veszprém seemed to have an extra gear in the additional period and were soon back in front at 33-30
Barça threw players forward to try and reel their opponents back in but Veszprém took the win 39-34
Barça will now face at third and fourth place play off on Thursday against the loser of the semi final between Al Ahly and Magdeburg
Nothing could separate SC Magdeburg and One Veszprém HC in their opening clash
with the scoreboard locked at 26:26 after a dramatic 60 minutes
Even in the number of shots there was a tie (37:37)
Veszprém advanced directly to the quarter-finals by topping Group A, while Magdeburg fought their way through the play-offs with commanding performances against Dinamo București. That same grit was on display again on home court, as they kept Veszprém within reach throughout, overturning a four-goal deficit to ensure everything will be decided next week in Hungary
QUARTER-FINALS, FIRST LEGSC Magdeburg (GER) vs One Veszprém HC (HUN) 26:26 (11:14)
Veszprém will be left ruing their missed opportunity after letting a four-goal lead slip
Magdeburg’s comeback leaves the door wide open for both teams to reach the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2025
The goalkeepers were the unsung heroes of the night
Sergey Hernandez and Rodrigo Corrales made five and four saves respectively in the second half
but their most crucial interventions came in the dying minutes — each registering an 11th save that denied the opponent a potential match-winner
Since the introduction of the EHF FINAL4 format in 2009/10
whenever Veszprém remained unbeaten away in the first leg of a quarter-final
they have always gone on to reach Cologne — as was the case in 2013/14
QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: Sporting CP came close
but HBC Nantes clinched a narrow win in the first leg of the Machineseeker EHF Champions Leagu…
a single goal separated the 2023 title winners and Veszprém
The group phase of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League concluded on Thursday
with four sides progressing directly to the quarter-finals and eight heading to the play-offs
as the knockout phase of the European premium competition is looking to proved more entertainment and drama
One Veszprém HC had their best start of a season and finished first in the standings
being the best team in the competition so far
the reigning IHF Men’s Club World Championship title holders
with the German team scoring in the last seconds of the match
The big surprise was Sporting CP finishing second in their group
but with a superior head-to-head record in the mutual ties
The Portuguese side was the outsider which delivered the biggest shocks of the competition
with Martim scoring 89 goals and Francisco having 70 goals under his belt
Sporting went directly to the quarter-finals
where they are due to meet the winner of the play-offs tie between Orlen Wisla Plock and HBC Nantes
the MVP of the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship
with PSG coming on the fourth place of the standings in Group A
Dinamo București and Orlen Wisla Plock ended up on the fifth and sixth positions respectively
as Eurofarm Pelister and Fredericia HK finishing seventh and eighth
reigning champions FC Barcelona finished first
comfortably securing the top posiiton and a quarter-finals berth
as they are once again a challenge for the trophy
The battle for the second place came to the wire
A 29:29 draw in France between the two sides saw the Danish powerhouse
Former IHF Men’s Club World Championship winners
with plenty of stalwarts out of contention due to medical problems
tied on points with OTP Bank – Pick Szeged
but their 31:24 win in the last round of the group phase saw Magdeburg hold the tie-breaker
The last qualified team from Group B was Industria Kielce
which had a nip-and-tuck battle with Kolstad Handball
The Polish side also had to sweat until the last minute
as they secured a 27:26 win on RK Zagreb’s court
with Kielce taking the two crucial points for the next phase
The first leg of the quarter-finals will take place on 26 and 27 March
with the second leg played on 3 and 4 April
while Orlen Wisla Plock rekindle their rivalry with HBC Nantes
Machineseeker EHF Champions League – quarter-finals
The 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship will conclude on Thursday
in the New Administrative Capital Hall in Egypt
with a mouth-watering clashes between the two undefeated teams in the competition – reigning champions SC Magdeburg and challengers Veszprem HC
Three other matches are scheduled for the last day of the competition
with the bronze medal match seeing Barcelona take on Al-Ahly
while two other placement matches are opening the day
No team has ever won the IHF Men’s Club World Championship four times in a row
with the only sides to secure three consecutive titles being FC Barcelona and SC Magdeburg
Provided they win their 16th match in a row in the world club handball flagship competition
becoming only the second team to secure four titles and the first one to clinch four titles in a row
But the final against Veszprem is by far the toughest test for the German side in this edition
Magdeburg have failed to bring the same polished performances over the last matches
while the match against Al-Ahly saw the reigning champions down by six goals in the first half
but a late comeback saw them secure a 28:24 win
but their first test against an European side
will surely be their toughest so far at the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship
Back in the competition after a nine-years wait
with some fantastic performances along the way in the current season
One of them was the comeback against Barcelona in the semi-final of the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship
where the Hungarian side led throughout the first half
but emerged as winners after tying the score in regular time and secure a 39:34 extra-time win
We need to prepare our players for the next challenge
We are very happy that we were able to bring joy to the people who believe that we can do something big with this team,” said Veszprem’s coach
this will be the second appearance in the final of the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship
in their second appearance in the competition
the Hungarian powerhouse lost the final against another German side
while one match ended in a draw and another was won by Veszprem
FC Barcelona will play to finish on the third spot at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship
missing out on a place in the final for the third time in nine editions
The Spanish side has never finished lower than third in the final standings of the competition
a record they will aim to preserve on Thursday evening
in their last match in the New Administrative Capital Hall
after delivering a 31:23 win in the preliminary round against the hosts
reigning champions in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League
as Al-Ahly provided a hefty competition for SC Magdeburg in the semi-finals
but eventually conceded a 24:28 loss against the German side
despite leading by six goals in the first half and by four goals in the 37th minute
The European side has the second best attack in the competition
having scored at least 30 goals in each match this season
but the Egyptian side have the best defence in the competition
with only 72 goals conceded in three matches
This will be the fourth meeting at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship for the two sides
with Barcelona taking wins in the previous three matches
37:31 in 2023 and 31:23 in the current edition
Zamalek will be looking to finish fifth in the competition
as they will know exactly what they have to do to seal that position when they take on Taubate
Before the last day of the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship
the Egyptian side are tied on points with Khaleej Club
with the goal difference deciding the best-placed side in the Placement Round
Khaleej have currently a +18 goal difference
Yet Zamalek proved they can win big against Taubate
when the two sides first met in the preliminary round
but led by as many as 16 goals in the second half
only to lose their lead in the dying minutes
Taubate aim to avoid finishing an edition of the IHF Men’s Club World Championship without a win for the first time in history
as the Brazilian side have conceded losses against Zamalek
Veszprem and Khaleej in the first three matches
Despite winning the match against the California Eagles
Sydney Uni will be the underdogs against Khaleej Club
with the Saudi side vying for the fifth place in the final standings
which would be their best-ever result in their appearances at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship
but they have won two of the three matches and need to deliver another good performance to clinch the fifth place
yet the Australian side have the largest average of goals conceded per match
Khaleej also have the top goal scorer so far in the competition
Veszprém HC secured their maiden title at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship
after a dramatic final against SC Magdeburg
after the German side came back in the second half of the regular time
delivered Magdeburg their first loss in four years in the world club handball flagship competition
stopping a 15-match winning streak and denying the German side their fourth consecutive title
Three consecutive titles and a 15-match winning streak
SC Magdeburg’s credentials at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship were already confirmed
but the German powerhouse had one more match before writing history in the world club handball flagship competition
A 16th consecutive win against Veszprém HC would have seen Magdeburg become the maiden team to secure the title four times in a row
and aiming to clinch their first major international title in more than 15 years
after disposing in the semi-final of FC Barcelona
Veszprém looked like the better-rounded team
a place where Magdeburg were skipping a beat
but each time the German side were considered underdogs
where they beat Barcelona and Fuchse Berlin
as goalkeeper Rodrigo Corrales shined between the posts and delivered two fantastic saves
Magdeburg did not raise their hands in defeat and had their own 3:0 run to tie the match
Veszprém bounced back and had a good outing from backs Luka Cindric and Nedim Remili
But something changed in the dynamic of the match
as Magdeburg became better and better in defence
Magdeburg launched a 6:2 run to take the lead for the first time and even open a three-goal lead
Omar Ingi Magnusson and Gisli Kristjansson combined for five goals and five assists
being instrumental in their team’s comeback
But Veszprém were no pushovers themselves and balanced the score
with a single-goal lead from Magdeburg at the break
setting the course for yet another amazing second half
it was Veszprém which started the second half better
underlined by two goals from line player Ludovic Fabregas and two goals from right wing Mikita Vailupau
That run saw Veszprém score five goals in a row
with Magdeburg failing to get anything on the board for five minutes and 56 seconds
which eventually proved to be their undoing and bring the German side their first loss at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship since 2002
But it was not for Magdeburg’s lack of trying
The German side created their own 3:0 run to get back in the match and cut the gap to a single goal
as left wing Lukas Mertens scored twice in 55 seconds
applying more and more pressure on Veszprém
which eventually failed to secure the win in regular time
the never-say-die attitude of Magdeburg proved to be the decisive factor in the closing stages of the match
when the German side prevented their opponents to score in the last three minutes
boasting a 3:1 run to end the regular time and tie the score
pushing the final of the IHF Men’s Club World Championship into extra-time for the third edition in a row
Could Magdeburg deliver another fantastic win or it was Veszprém’s time to cheer
sealing back-to-back extra-time wins in this edition
The German side started the extra-time better
but it was time for Corrales to shine once again
Back-to-back saves from the Spanish goalkeeper provided chances for back-to-back goals for Veszprém and the Hungarian side took advantage of them
Veszprém were stronger and sealed a 34:33 win
with Magdeburg’s final attack being stopped by the Hungarian side’s defence
lifting them to the maiden title at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship
It is the first major international title for Veszprém HC since winning the Men’s EHF Cup Winners’ Cup since 2008
as the Hungarian side have secured a fantastic performance under the guidance of Xavi Pascual
After Veszprém Handball Academy won the first qualification tournament in the EHF Youth Club Trophy on Wednesday night as hosts
Barça followed suit by finishing first in qualification tournament 2 at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper
beating U18-Paris Saint-Germain Handball in the final
Danish club GOG saw off the challenge of hosts Füchse Berlin to join the Spanish and Hungarian sides in Cologne
winning a high-scoring final to ensure they will be on court at the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2025 to contest the inaugural EHF Youth Club Trophy
HC Eurofarm Pelister edged out hosts Dinamo Bucuresti to punch the final ticket to Cologne
Thursday saw the fourth and final qualification tournament begin in Bucharest
where home side CS Dinamo Bucuresti booked themselves a place in the final by beating Orlen Wisla Plock
Plock will take on their fellow Polish side KSS Iskra Kielce in the bronze medal match
after HC Eurofarm Pelister got the better of them in their semi-final
we will know all four teams who will take part in the fight for the EHF Youth Club Trophy title at the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2025 in Cologne
All matches in the EHF Youth Club Trophy are streamed live on EHFTV (geo-blocking may apply)
Sporting CP (POR) vs HBC Nantes (FRA) 29:22 (16:13)
Having ended up on the wrong side of a 34:31 semi-final on Wednesday
Sporting CP were determined to record a victory over French opposition in their qualification tournament
racing into a 4:0 and then a 5:1 lead inside five minutes
with Rafael Vasconcelos notching three of those goals
Though Nantes showed their mettle by coming back to within one at 8:7
twice leading by five before taking a 16:13 lead into the break
HBC reduced the deficit to two at 18:16 in the 37th minute
only for Sporting to begin a run of seven goals without reply
failing to concede for over 12 minutes and opening their joint-largest lead of the match
The Portuguese side eventually ran out 29:22 winners to finish third
Vasconcelos accounted for 13 of Sporting's 29 goals
while Leo Gendronneau top scored for Nantes with six
U18-Paris Saint-Germain Handball (FRA) vs Barça (ESP) 28:37 (15:18)
A second clear victory for the host club was secured last night along with the ticket to Cologne
U18-Paris Saint-Germain Handball kept within touching distance
levelling the scores five times before Thomas Omeyer struck to give them a 11:10 lead in the 20th minute
a perfect end to the first half for the hosts saw them turn a 15:14 deficit into an 18:15 lead at the break
Though Seraphin Marie got PSG back to within one
That seemed to knock the stuffing out of the French side
who soon found themselves 11 goals behind (35:24) as Barça put the game firmly out of reach
Six of Anselmo Collado Carrion's nine goals came after the break
as Omeyer and Marie netted five apiece for the Parisians
Füchse Berlin (GER) vs IK Sävehof (SWE) 33:31 (15:13)
the MBS Arena in Potsdam was treated to two thrilling semi-finals
both of which were decided by two-goal margins
Hosts Füchse Berlin gave themselves breathing room by opening up four-goal leads at 15:11
but two goals to end the half from the Swedish visitors reduced the deficit
A 28:23 lead for the home side looked to be enough by the 45th minute
three goals in the last five minutes for Leo Nowak eventually got the Foxes over the line
Those were three of an incredible 17 for Nowak
as Oliver Lagerkvist struck seven times for Sävehof
GOG (DEN) vs SC Magdeburg (GER) 38:36 (17:18)
GOG came from a goal down at the break to get the better of SC Magdeburg
only for the Danish youngsters to create a three-goal lead of their own midway through the half
A 4:2 run to finish the first 30 minutes was enough for Magdeburg to hold the narrowest of leads at half-time
Magdeburg looked to be on course for the final when they led 27:22 after 40 minutes
and this time it was their turn to end a half with a 4:2 run
as Malte Elze found the net seven times for Magdeburg
IK Sävehof (SWE) vs SC Magdeburg (GER) 31:35 (15:20)
SC Magdeburg put distance between themselves at IK Sävehof in the first half and held off the challenge in the second to secure bronze in Potsdam
The German youngsters found themselves 5:3 down in the eighth minute
turning a 7:7 into a 17:11 lead in a 12-minute spell
Füchse Berlin (GER) vs GOG (DEN) 33:40 (15:18)
GOG are the winners of qualification tournament 3 after a ruthless attacking display saw them outgun their hosts Füchse Berlin
Magnus Boysen Møldrup set GOG on their way in the first minute and the visitors never relinquished the lead
the Berlin side reduced the gap to just 9:8 and 22:21 either side of the break
but they could never find an equaliser to shift the momentum
the advantage only grew and the Danish side knew they could book their Cologne tickets once they hit the 40-goal mark with two minutes to spare
Julian Kusche hit double figures for the Foxes
but Oskar Møller Jacobsen found the net 11 times for GOG
KSS Iskra Kielce (POL) vs HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD) 29:37 (11:22)
22 goals in the first 30 minutes did the damage for HC Eurofarm Pelister
who were able to take their foot off the gas in the second half in preparation for Friday's final
Nine of Alem Hadzic's 14 goals came before the interval
building a lead which Pelister never surrendered
Kielce put some respectability on the final result by outscoring Pelister 18:15 in the second half
Karol Peczkowicz was their best scorer with six strikes
CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) vs Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) 31:28 (19:13)
In front of their home supporters at the Dinamo Arena
CS Dinamo Bucuresti also began with the wind in their sails
opening up a six-goal advantage by half-time
Cosmin Alexandru Stanciu was making the most of playing in front of the crowd
Plock came close to a comeback in the second half
reducing the deficit to 24:23 before the home side finally held their nerve to close out the win and a place in the final
Dinamo could do little to stop Maksym Matyszczyk
Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) vs KSS Iskra Kielce (POL) 27:32 (14:14)
Kielce managed to give their tournament a triumphant end by beating domestic rivals Plock 32:27 mainly thanks to a strong second half
Plock took a three-goal lead in the opening half (10:7 after 17 minutes) but their opponents clawed their way back into the game
The teams were level at half-time but Kielce went from 14:14 to 16:14 and led throughout the second half of this Polish derby
Jakub Osuch starred for Kielce with 11 goals; Oliwier Blaszczak netted seven times for Plock
CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) vs HC Eurofarm Pelister 36:37 (15:18)
Pelister stunned the host team in Bucharest on Friday night with the narrowest of victories to earn their ticket to Cologne
who both had celebrated comfortable semi-final wins against Polish opponents
and the scoring remained in the balance for the opening stages
But Pelister gradually managed to gain grip on the match and carve out a three-goal lead at the break
The visitors seemed heading for a clear victory when they extended their lead over Dinamo early in the second half
but the hosts put in an impressive fighting performance as they gave it their all in their attempt to turn the match around
they just didn't succeed in their efforts and went down by a single goal in this high-scoring final
which had Cosmin Stanciu (Dinamo) with 11 and Alem Hadzic (Pelister) with 12 as its standout goal scorers
NEWS: The draw for the M18 EHF EURO 2026 qualification tournaments was held on Wednesday
DRAW PREVIEW: The 20 teams participating in the five qualification tournaments will discover their opponents on Wednesday
DAY REVIEW: Veszprém Handball Academy celebrated a historical win at home
while another qualification tournament threw off on Wednesday
DAY REVIEW: The inaugural edition of the EHF Youth Club Trophy began on Tuesday
with Veszprém beating Vojvodina and Szeged defeating Zagreb
PREVIEW: First edition starts with four tournaments and 16 men's under-18 teams across Europe this week
HOW TO FOLLOW: A complete guide on how to stay updated with the first edition of the EHF Youth Club Trophy
DRAW REVIEW: 18 teams have been drawn into three groups for 3-6 July 2025 championships in Alanya
format and fixtures for this year's 16-team EHF youth club competition are set
The winners of the first qualification tournament in the EHF Youth Club Trophy were crowned on Wednesday night
as Veszprém Handball Academy came out on top in a tight final match against OTP Bank - PICK Szeged to be the first team to secure their spot for Cologne
Excitement levels were sky high at the end of the day
when the second qualification tournament threw off in Spain
as U18-Paris Saint-Germain Handball and Barça were the two victorious sides in the semi-finals
It was an action-packed Wednesday afternoon
with the first qualification tournament reaching its peak and deciding the winners in an intense Hungarian final
while four other teams started their EHF Youth Club Trophy journey in the second tournament
At the end of the week we will know all four teams who will take part in the fight for the EHF Youth Club Trophy title at the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2025 in Cologne
All matches in the EHF Youth Club Trophy are streamed live on EHFTV (geo-blocking may apply)
HC Zagreb (CRO) vs HC Vojvodina (SRB) 43:41 (22:22)
An opening goal from Marko Jokic helped HC Vojvodina take an early lead in the bronze medal match
but HC Zagreb remained close and the two sides were neck-and-neck in the first quarter
the Croatian side’s offence hit a rough patch with a few unsuccessful attempts at scoring
thus giving their Serbian opponents the opportunity to pull away and distance themselves to four goals in the 17th minute (13:9) — the biggest lead in the game
The momentum then shifted in Zagreb’s favour and four unanswered goals on their side meant that the game was back to square one (15:15) with less than 10 minutes left in the first half
Nothing separated the two sides at the break
but Vojvodina profited from Zagreb’s missed seven-metre shot at the start of the second half to retake the lead
helped by two consecutive goals from Vukasin Pavlovic
The young star would go on to score three more times in the game
but dramatically missing a last-second shot — however
at that point it was already too late for Vojvodina to hope for a win
HC Zagreb proved they have nerves of steel once again and made another comeback from four goals down in the 45th minute (34:30)
The Croatian side kept the scoreboard balanced until the final minutes
when they moved up a gear to get from 40:40 to a 43:41 win
who netted the last three goals for his team
OTP Bank - PICK Szeged (HUN) vs Veszprém Handball Academy (HUN) 30:31 (12:14)
A 3:0 run for the hosts in the first two minutes announced the start of an intense final and a difficult challenge for OTP Bank - PICK Szeged
Veszprém kept on growing their lead and were already five goals ahead (8:3) by the seven-minute mark
as a series of technical errors prevented Szeged from narrowing the gap
Szeged started making their way up from being led 10:6 and slowly but steadily minimised the hosts’ advantage to just one goal (13:12) in the final minutes before the break
A goal in the 29th minute by Roland József Szeip helped Veszprém start the second half two goals ahead (14:12)
but OTP Bank - PICK Szeged returned from the lockers with new energy and took the lead in the match for the first time in the 37th minute
Risking missing out on a ticket to Cologne
the hosts recovered quickly and had a slight edge again in the last quarter
the outcome was still undecided as the scoreboard showed 28:28
but Veszprém Handball Academy finally sealed the deal in a nerve-racking ending to become the first winners in the qualification tournaments of the EHF Youth Club Trophy
Máté Gáncs-Peto successfully led the hosts’ attack and was the top scorer of the final with nine goals
while Danilo Mrdjan netted eight times for Szeged
U18-Paris Saint-Germain Handball (FRA) vs Sporting CP (POR) 34:31 (16:14)
The qualification tournament in Spain was officially opened by Thomas Omeyer
as he netted his first goal — out of 12 in the match — to put U18-Paris Saint-Germain Handball ahead in the semi-final
The first 12 minutes saw the French side keep a slight advantage in the game
but a goal by Vicente Almeida gave Sporting CP hope when they took the lead of the match for the first time (8:7)
Their dreams were shattered quickly by PSG
who scored for 8:8 and then did not give up their advantage until the end of the game
The French side kept their two-goal advantage from the break throughout the second half
until two missed shots by Sporting’s Francisco Fonseca helped them grow the lead to four (26:22) in the 45th minute
10 minutes before the final whistle the scoreboard showed the biggest gap in the game
but the Portuguese side still found the motivation to power through and were just one goal behind in minute 55 (29:28)
U18-Paris Saint-Germain Handball remained in control in the last minutes to secure a win and a seat for the final
Barça (ESP) vs HBC Nantes (FRA) 43:27 (24:13)
3:2 in the fourth minute was the only time HBC Nantes had the lead in the semi-final
being led by hosts Barça for the rest of the game in a remarkable show of strength
HBC Nantes managed to stay fairly close only until the 15th minute
when the two sides were separated by just two goals (9:7)
but Barça’s Marc Navarro Genovart netted for 10:7 to announce the beginning of the downfall for the French side
The hosts continued to be in charge of the match and established a 10-goal gap by the 24th minute
diminishing Nantes’ hopes of reaching the final
With 11 goals separating the two at the break
it seemed like Barça were heading for a clear win and the Spanish side did not disappoint
as they managed to grow the gap even more in the second half and finished with a dominant 43:27 win to join U18-Paris Saint-Germain Handball in the final
Young talents Deavon Douglas (eight goals) and Sacha Grenapin (seven goals) stole the spotlight on Nantes’ side thanks to their astonishing performances
with the squad gaining valuable experience in the inaugural EHF Youth Club Trophy and heading to the bronze-medal match where they will meet Sporting CP
Photos © Veszprém Handball Academy & Barça Handball Academy
FEATURE: Thüringer HC left back becomes MVP and top scorer of EHF Finals Women after netting 29 times in Graz
SUMMARY: Thüringer HC are crowned in Graz as the new EHF European League Women champions
following an intense final against Ikast Håndbold
FLASH QUOTES: Comments from players and coaches after the EHF Finals Women 2025 final and third place match
FINAL REVIEW: THC come from behind to beat Ikast 34:32 at the EHF Finals in Graz
THIRD-PLACE MATCH REVIEW: The French side beat their opponents from Germany at the EHF Finals Women
FINAL PREVIEW: Ikast Håndbold meet Thüringer HC in final; Blomberg and Dijon play for third place
SUMMARY: Ikast Håndbold and Thüringer HC celebrated semi-final wins in Graz as they get ready for the final on Sunday
SEMI-FINAL REVIEW: The German side beat Dijon 35:29 in the second semi-final of the EHF Finals Women
FLASH QUOTES: Comments from players and coaches after the EHF Finals Women 2025 semi-finals
SEMI-FINAL REVIEW: The 2023 champions are back in the final of the EHF Finals Women in Graz
Playing their fifth EHF Champions League season and first since 2019/20, Portuguese side Sporting CP have been creating a kind of havoc
Sporting have been turning the tables upside down
Berlin or Plock — all opponents have proved within reach so far
“Let’s say we have done a pretty good first part of the season
It’s our first experience in the competition
and while I have not been surprised by our playing level
I am a bit more that we are so consistent,” says their Norwegian goalkeeper Andrè Kristensen
referring to the current iteration of the team
Kristensen has been decisive many times for his team
when Sporting defeated Paris Saint-Germain by 11 goals
“I am very happy about how the season has gone so far
I have not changed much in the way I play — this season is just the follow-up to the previous ones
but at a higher level,” says the 24-year-old
who has been playing for Sporting for three seasons now
While to outsiders Sporting’s results might have been a little bit surprising
the Portuguese side was almost built to reach EHF Champions League heights
and we have worked together for quite some time now
that Sporting had enough talent to play the Champions League,” he says
“The only thing that I am amazed by is our consistency
because it is one thing to beat Paris or Veszprém one week
but to repeat it over a long period of time is something completely different.”
Kristensen gained the right to play with Norway at the last World Championship — his first major tournament with his national team
the 24-year-old made 21 saves over the six games Norway played in the competition
A huge honour to be able to represent my country
Just like playing the EHF Champions League
playing with my national team had been a goal for a long time
I felt really welcome by everyone and I will do everything to be able to play with Norway again,” says Kristensen
But before thinking about the national team again
including the Match of the Week on Thursday in Veszprém
the Portuguese side are second in group A — five points behind the Hungarian powerhouse — but the players still believe in their chances
“We saw in the past few months that anything was possible in this competition — that everyone could beat everyone
This is exactly the mentality we are going to Veszprém with
We are really humble but we are also ambitious,” explains Kristensen
who has been very much enjoying playing against iconic teams in iconic arenas since September
“I was watching these Champions League games when I was young
The Veszprém Arena is one of these that you see and you dream about playing in
because the fans are so loud and it is so much a part of handball history.”
But trust Kristensen not to be too upset by the enthusiasm of the Veszprém fans because
as he puts it: “We have very passionate ones in Lisbon as well
They give us extra motivation every game we play.”
Photos: Sporting CP; Heiko Voigt / Foto Lächler
NEWS: Györi Audi ETO KC will meet Team Esbjerg
and Metz Handball will play against Odense Håndbold on 31 May in the MVM Dome in Budapest
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Paris Saint-Germain will take on Veszprém at Coubertin in Group A's headline clash
We take a look ahead to this all-important final home game of the EHF Champions League group stage
Taking advantage of missteps by Sporting and Berlin
our Rouge et Bleu moved back into position for direct qualification for the quarters
they aren't about to let it slip through their fingers
they now face a formidable Veszprém side who have won no fewer than eleven out of twelve matches on Europe's biggest stage this season
the Hungarians are not going to make it easy for their opponents
Even though they have already secured first place in the group
Xavi Pascual's men will be keen to continue their fine run and send a message to their rivals in the competition
who will need the unwavering support of everyone at Coubertin if they are to potentially also ensure their direct qualification for the quarter-finals
Une publication partagée par EHF Champions League (@ehfcl)
YOUR TICKETS FOR Paris - Veszprém !
Wednesday 26 February,18:45: Dinamo Bucharest v Wisla Plock
Thursday 27 February, 20:45: Paris - Veszprém, broadcast on Eurosport and to be followed on our live tweet
Following the conclusion of the preliminary round of the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship
the two semi-finals of the competition have been determined
plus the best second-placed team securing their places in the penultimate act
According to the Rules and Regulations of the competition
the team that were the best second-placed side
The semi-final between Barcelona and Veszprem is scheduled for Tuesday
while the match between Magdeburg and Al-Ahly
Nedim Remili has always been a student of the game
He lives and breathes handball and talks with passion about the sport
His handball IQ and versatility – Remili started as a right back
like he did for France men’s national team in the past years – has made the French star one of the most sought-after players on the market
where he has been plying his trade since February 2023
Remili settled and became the fulcrum of Veszprem’s attack
arugably the most decorated coach in the last decades at club level
The French back reveled at the prospect of being coached by one of the greatest minds in handball and the connection was instant
At the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship
he is usually sitting on the first chairs of the bench
constantly talking with Pascual about tactics
Pascual is definitely a household name in handball
FC Barcelona failed to win the competition
he won the Machineseeker EHF Champions League three times with the Spanish club
before leaving for Romanian club Dinamo Bucuresti
Hopefully we're going to have a long and amazing journey during this season as well,” adds Remili
Pascual is well known for pushing his players to the limit
in trying to make players as focused as possible
He is demanding and needs all the focus and commitment of his players
Pascual offers instructions in a high-pitched voice
But that does not deter Remili or his teammates
to have a coach who demands so much and leads the team by example
“But sometimes he kills us because he puts more than us into the game
I did not expect for him to be so interested in tactics
We have kind of the same passion to the handball
That passion and that commitment helped Veszprem return to the final of the IHF Men’s Club World Championship for the first time since 2015
after the Hungarian side secured their third consecutive win in the New Administrative Capital Hall
Veszprem controlled the match from the first minutes until the 45th minute
Veszprem’s experience helped the Hungarian side bounce back and save a draw
Veszprem scored 10 times in 10 minutes to take a 39:34 win
Veszprem are only 60 minutes away of their third major international trophy
after winning the EHF Men’s Cup Winners’ Cup twice
And Pascual might just be the key piece of the puzzle left to push a team which played the final in the Champions League four times
Paris Saint-Germain handball lost to Veszprém (33-37) in the EHF Champions League Matchday 13 clash at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin
Here's our review of this final home game of the EHF Champions League group stage
Paris Saint-Germain fans could not have hoped for a better match-up for the last home game of the EHF Champions League group stage
Group A leaders with top spot already stitched up
travelled to Coubertin to take on Les Rouge et Bleu
for whom this was a match with plenty riding on it
In addition to their thirst for revenge after the bitter defeat in Hungary a few months ago (41-28)
the capital club needed to win to regain second place and the direct qualification for the quarter-finals that goes with it
Even though they couldn't secure a place in the quarter finals tonight
a win would have allowed Raul Gonzalez's men to take control of their own destiny before travelling to Pelister on the final day
Paris started the match with great enthusiasm and set an intense pace
but were twice stymied by Rodrigo Corrales
Veszprém took advantage of a numerical superiority to create an initial break (5‘: 2-5)
But soon Les Rouge et Bleu went a man up and were quick to make up the deficit thanks to Ferran Solé
who continued his current fine form (9’: 6-7)
the EHF Champions League's best attack put on a show in the first quarter of an hour
Raul Gonzalez decided to call the first time-out of the match (18’: 9-13)
distinguished himself as of the restart and restored the confidence of the capital club
who got back into the match thanks to an opportunistic goal by Luc Steins (22': 12-15)
While Paris were more efficient in front of goal at the end of the first half
Veszprém did not drop their intensity and extended their lead again (27‘: 15-20)
Les Rouge et Bleu went into the changing rooms five goals behind at the end of a difficult first half (30’: 18-23)
Paris were on the front foot in their bid to make up the deficit
and Andreas Palicka's double save from Hugo Descat's penalty throw was extremely welcome (33': 19-24)
All the more so as the offensive sector also followed suit
with back-to-back goals from Elohim and Kent to reduce the gap to three goals (36': 22-25)
the second time-out called by Xavi Pascual allowed Veszprém to find a new lease of life in the second half
seized his chance by scoring his third goal of the evening (39': 23-27)
Paris took advantage of a numerical superiority to come within a single goal of Veszprém (45': 28-29)
the atmosphere became more and more unbearable as the two teams found themselves neck and neck
before Kamil reduced the gap with his sixth goal of the evening (53': 30-32)
Paris once again struggled with the Hungarian side's rigour - as well as its two former Parisians
Rodrigo Corrales was imperious as he denied Yahia and Luc (55': 31-35)
Despite showing more promise in the second half
Paris were unable to turn the situation around against Veszprém
who fully lived up to their status as Group A leaders (60': 33-37)
Despite being relegated to fourth place following wins for Sporting and Berlin
direct qualification for the quarter-finals remains possible for our Les Rouge et Bleu
while hoping for favourable results from their rivals at the same time (Berlin will go to Veszprém and Sporting will travel to Plock)
Une publication partagée par Paris Saint-Germain Handball (@psghandofficiel)
🎙️ Après #PSGVES (33-37), découvrez les réactions de Raul Gonzalez & Elohim Prandi ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/tiaG80UD1u
Raul Gonzalez's men return to league action this Sunday with a trip to Saint-Raphaël
Throw-off for this Round 18 fixture is scheduled for 17:00
The three-time Champions League winning left back re-signed with Veszprém from Hafnarfjörður on 21 October and was given a new chance to prove he can be an important part of his old/new club as they vie for the Machineseeker Champions League 2024/25 trophy
The transfer of a heroic player does not just appear in fantasy stories
miracles can happen even in extreme cases where the probability is almost zero — and Pálmarsson's transfer to Veszprém belongs to this category
the Icelandic centre and left back was admired by the audience of the top Hungarian club
where he won the Champions League in 2021 with head coach Xavi Pascual
although he did not fulfil his contract there
After two silver medals in the Danish championship
he requested the termination of his agreement in 2023
Pálmarsson returned to his home club in Iceland
Pálmarsson could afford to play handball just for fun
Veszprém changed coach in the summer of 2024
appointing Pascual to replace the departing Momir Ilic
The legendary new coach insisted on strengthening the squad and Veszprém approached Pascual’s former player
Pascual still thought more quality players were needed as soon as possible: The season is long
the calendar is extremely dense and the success of the Champions League campaign cannot depend on the elimination of one key player
Pascual was right: Egyptian back Yehia Elderaa suffered a cruciate ligament tear in the Champions League group match against Frederica
and four days after the unfortunate injury
His name was already on the roster in round 6 of the Champions League
But how surprising was it that Veszprém suddenly pulled Pálmarsson out of the blue
later admitted that regardless of Elderaa's injury
contact had already been established between Veszprém and Pálmarsson
The Icelander recalled the moment his agent told him his former club were interested in re-signing him
when my agent informed me about a possible return to Veszprém
I have to mention that I received and refused offers from big European teams in the last 15 months
But the circumstances have changed a lot — I would have regretted if I had not accepted the contract from Veszprém,” says Pálmarsson
were very supportive and accepted my possible move to Veszprem
Our agreement included a rule: If I receive an offer from a big club
Pálmarsson is perfectly aware of Pascual's methods
The joint work in Barcelona left a deep mark on the Spanish coach
who likes to collaborate with his former players
That is how Cindric came into the picture at Veszprém
and Pálmarsson also went to the Hungarian team at the request of the coach
The versatile player could not help but praise Pascual
“In addition to the former coach of THW Kiel and Iceland national team
Xavier Pascual is obviously the best coach in my career
I really like and appreciate his system — the way he thinks about handball
He is a winner-type person,” says Pálmarsson
It is also a fact that Pascual consciously builds on previously proven relationships
Pálmarsson was a teammate of current Veszprém players Cindric and Ludovic Fabregas in the Champions League 2020/21-winning Barcelona side
His Icelandic friend and national teammate
Did the fact that he not only knows the coach
but also communicates very well on court with some other key players
it helps knowing some players both on and off the court and I’m really excited to play with them again
Since Pálmarsson’s departure from Veszprém in 2017
Patrik Ligetvári and Gasper Marguc are the only individuals who have stood for permanence at the club
but the goal of the team is the same — their first Champions League title
“Winning the Champions League for the first time with Veszprém is a very big challenge
I am very grateful for the club to give me this chance to prove myself
I would have regretted it forever,” says Pálmarsson
when Veszprém lost after holding a nine-goal lead in the second half against Kielce
scored six goals in the final — and was there to feel the shock of the result
Among the memories of his first era at Veszprém
Pálmarsson singles out the most exciting matches:
“I have always loved the great Champions League matches in Veszprém
I spent six years in Kiel before moving to Veszprém
which has one of the best arenas in Europe
But let’s focus on this season: We have an excellent coach
Winning the Champions League is a really hard task
You should be the first or the second in the group phase
then need to show a good performance in Cologne at the [EHF] FINAL4
It has always been very easy to say that we want to win the title
And luck is also necessary for the success.”
Pálmarsson signed his contract with Veszprém until the end of the 2025/26 season
He will be 36 years old when the current deal expires
It is an increasingly common phenomenon in handball that key international players are still active in their late thirties
34-year-old Pálmarsson is not a fan of hasty statements
He is currently planning until the end of the 2025/26 season — but who knows what is going to happen
“I want to play on the highest level as long as I can
I have not actually thought about the future
I am just happy to have the chance to play in Veszprém
I am focused on the team — want to help my old/new club
Photos: Aleksandar Kotevski / Sasho Ristevski
Three more teams have clinched their berths for the play-offs
That means only one spot is still open before the final round of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League group stage
Plock and Bucuresti booked their ticket after tonight’s results
Kolstad and Kielce fight for the last spot in Round 14.As Veszprém won the MOTW in Paris
three teams are still in the race for the second position in Group A
while Nantes and Aalborg fight for the direct qualification for the quarter-finals in the direct duel next week in Group B
GROUP AMOTW: Paris Saint-Germain Handball (FRA) vs One Veszprém HC (HUN) 33:37 (18:23)Veszprém highlighted their ambitions to go all the way this season with another impressive performance
One week after their close victory against Sporting
Opening 1:0 was the one and only lead for PSG
It was a great team performance with 11 different players finding their way into the scoring sheet
with a huge efficiency – mainly proved by 23 goals before the break
and when Kamil Syprzak netted for the 29:30 and the 31:32
they could even hope to turn the match around
A 3:0 run for the 35:31 was however the final decision in a run-and-gun match
Füchse Berlin (GER) vs HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD) 39:29 (15:12)The final result looks quite clear
but until minute 40 the Macedonian champions were able to stay completely levelled
Berlin kept their hopes for a direct quarter-final spot alive
but will have to travel to leaders Veszprém next week
while for Eurofarm Pelister their home match against PSG will be the end of their international journey this season
Each of the nine goals scored by Mathias Gidsel and youngster Matthes Langhoff paved Berlin’s way to the victory
while Filip Kuzmanovski netted seven times for the visitors.The Foxes were never down in the whole 60 minutes
but could not profit from their flying 12:6 start
but then Berlin’s 4:0 run ended the hopes of the Macedonians
Berlin are equal with Paris and one point below Sporting – in the end
their last week's defeat at Plock will prove to be crucial if they end up failing to finish second
GROUP BKolstad Håndbold (NOR) vs SC Magdeburg (GER) 31:27 (15:14)Kolstad Håndbold remain unbeaten after the winter break
Magdeburg secure their play-off spot despite the defeat - thanks to a strong second half and 11 goals of Simon Jeppson
the Norwegian champions took a deserved and important victory to be equal in points with Magdeburg now
Zagreb are definitely out of the play-off race.Having to replace many injured key players such as Gisli Kristjannson
the base for a success was not the best for SCM
showed their will to win from the very first minute
The first half was more or less equal with small advantages for the hosts
however when Kolstad pulled ahead for 20:16
when Benedikt Gunnar Oskarsson netted for 29:24
OTP Bank - PICK Szeged (HUN) vs Barça (ESP) 29:29 (17:14)The draw feels like a defeat for OTP Bank PICK Szeged
as the defending champions and already confirmed group winners Barça were ahead only twice in the whole 60 minutes - at 21:20 and 25:24
the Hungarian side finished without a victory but remain on the fourth place with 13 points now
Despite six goals of the EHF Champions League top scorer Mario Sostaric (91 goals total)
the hosts did not manage to take revenge for the close 30:31 defeat in the premier fixture.The biggest margin was five goals at 14:9
Barça levelled the match with three unanswered goals at 17:17
and from that moment on the match was on the edge
A red card against their key defensive player and line player Bence Banhidi in minute 40 did not shock Szeged that much - with one minute on the clock
but then Manuel Ortega and the buzzer-beater scored by Thiagus Petrus secured a draw for Barça
Emil Nielsen won the goalkeeping duel against Robert Mikler (Szeged) with 13 saves to Mikler's 10
On the penultimate matchdayday of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League group stage
Check out our pick of the photos from the match (33-37)
Sporting CP extended their impressive start to the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2024/25 season in round 3 on Wednesday night
stunning previously unbeaten Veszprém HC 39:30 to lead group A with the maximum of six points
team captain Sigvaldi Gudjonsson netted 11 times to guide Kolstad Håndbold past HC Zagreb (29:25) as the Norwegian side took their first points of the season
while Aalborg Håndbold and SC Magdeburg shared the points in a rematch of last season's semi-final
Sporting CP (POR) vs Veszprém HC (HUN) 39:30 (23:17)
The Portuguese champions underlined their brilliant form – and the fact that they are not depending on just the Costa brothers
For Veszprém it was a night to forget right from the start
they matched their club record for most goals conceded in an EHF Champions League match
after they had also conceded 39 times against THW Kiel (2007)
and Paris Saint-Germain Handball (2022) in the past
One week after their 41:28 gala against PSG
the team of Xavi Pascual was put back on earth by a brilliant attacking performance of Sporting
the hosts pulled ahead to 23:17 at the break
Sporting had taken their first double-digit advantage at 29:19
Both Veszprém goalkeepers had no impact on the match
while Sporting’s goal machine was running until the end
The only good news for the Hungarian side: Nedim Remili remains on top of the scorers list with 25 goals ahead of Martim Costa on 21
Industria Kielce (POL) vs Barça (ESP) 28:32 (13:17)
A Barça player who is set to move to Poland next season was the key factor in their match at Kielce: top scorer Melvyn Richardson
the French Men's EHF EURO 2024 gold medallist was instrumental for Barça's 17:13 lead at the break
who clearly won the goalkeeper duel against Kielce’s Sandro Mestric
Even the strong support from the many yellow-dressed fans in the stands did not help the hosts in their efforts to turn the match around
When Aleix Gómez converted a penalty for 27:22 with nine minutes to go
Barça’s third win of the season and their 10th in 15 matches against Kielce was a done deal
remain on two points after their second consecutive defeat
Kolstad Håndbold (NOR) vs HC Zagreb (CR) 29:25 (13:13)
Kolstad were already with their backs against the wall
but Zagreb continued the way they played against Aalborg last week (31:23) from minute 15 on – with a strong defence and goalkeeper Matej Mandic on a high in the first half
but the biggest gap were two goals until the 26:23 five minutes before the end
Icelandic wing Sigvaldi Gudjonsson played an impressive match
Netting for the 11th time in minute 58 for the 27:24
Best scorers for Zagreb were Luka Lovre Klarica with eight goals and Timur Dibirov with six
Aalborg Håndbold (DEN) vs SC Magdeburg (GER) 33:33 (17:13)
Both sides had to replace some key players (Niklas Landin
and Thomas Arnoldsen at Aalborg; Philipp Weber
but the hosts coped much better with this situation in the first half
they grabbed their chance to pull ahead with a 4:0 run for the half-time score of 17:13
the Danish champions extended the gap to 23:18
But led by Icelandic duo Ómar Ingi Magnusson and Gisli Kristjansson
the 2023 champions paved their way back into the match
the score line was 29:29 in the match full of two-minute suspensions on both sides
Mads Hoxer missed the last chance for the hosts with a shot from distance which Nikola Portner just before the final buzzer
SCM line player Magnus Saugstrup (born in Aalborg and playing for his home club until 2022) finished the match wearing a turban after suffering a cut to his eye
head coaches Maik Machulla and Bennet Wiegert – who were teammates playing for Magdeburg in the past – shared the points
ROUND PREVIEW: Two quarter-final tickets and one play-off berth to be decided in the last round of the group phase
ROUND PREVIEW: While Barça and Veszprém secured top spots in their groups
two quarter-final tickets are still available
ROUND PREVIEW: Veszprém and Sporting face each other in the Match of the Week
while the battle for the play-offs continues in both groups
ROUND PREVIEW: Group leaders start with high away hurdles
Aalborg and Füchse can secure their spots in the knockout stage
ROUND PREVIEW: Sporting and Dinamo chase Veszprém HC in group A while Barça eye play-off spot in round 9 of the Machineseeker EHF Champions…
ROUND PREVIEW: The second part of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League group phase starts this week
with all 16 teams still able to progr…
The Match of the Week in round 13 of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2024/25 on Thursday pits the top-two teams in group A against each other in France: Paris Saint-Germain Handball host One Veszprém HC
The duel marks a special occasion for PSG right back Yahia Omar
who previously spent five years with the Hungarian side
when Yahia Omar joined Veszprém from Zamalek SC
many handball fans didn’t know quite what to make of him
Especially since he was one of the first Egyptian players to appear in the EHF Champions League
But it didn’t take Omar long to prove that he is one of the best right backs in the world
and he opened the door to Europe for many more Egyptian players
even though it has to be noted that players like Mohammad Sanad and Mohamed Mamdouh also played in Europe then
But I guess that when clubs saw I was able to adapt in such a big club
they started to trust more Egyptian players,” Omar says
“I am really proud of all the achievements we have done
and we can also see how much of a benefit it is for the national team that we all play the EHF Champions League.”
the 27-year-old Yahia Omar decided to move to Paris last summer
Shortly after coming back from a tough knee injury
While he appeared a little bit hesitant for his first steps with his new club
the left-hander has quickly found his rhythm
as he scored eight goals twice in group phase matches
against Füchse Berlin and Dinamo Bucuresti
he is the fourth-best shooter for PSG so far in the group phase
I know exactly what the coach wants on the court
“I am definitely not the player anymore I was a couple of months ago.”
The Egyptian international even has had the time to go through the French capital like a tourist
You go out on the street and you are already sight-seeing,” he says with a laugh
Paris Saint-Germain have made a lot of progress over the season
Long gone are the days they were beaten by 13 goals in Veszprém in round 2
Veszprém were definitely more ready than we were
we were all coming back exhausted from the Olympics,” Omar recalls
But that’s water under the bridge now for PSG ahead of the reverse fixture against Veszprém in Paris, which is the MOTW on Thursday (live on EHFTV at 20:45 CET)
Veszprém have qualified for the quarter-finals already
and I don’t expect them to play any easier because they have secured the top spot already.”
After Paris struggled at home against teams like Orlen Wisla Plock and Füchse Berlin recently
they gained confidence with a 38:32 win at Fredericia Håndbold Klub last week
but I guess it was hard for us to find our feet just coming back from the world championship
we were not able to put enough in this game
it was important for us to win again last week,” Omar says
And he is confident Paris Saint-Germain will pull off a better performance than they did in Hungary in September
with a lot more collective experience,” Omar says
there is a lot of personal motivation for me to beat Veszprém and to help the team finishing second.”
A big cat enclosure was inaugurated at the Veszprém Zoo on Thursday as part of the zoo’s development projects under the Modern Cities Programme
with a total investment of approximately five billion forints
resulting in the complete renewal of about one-third of the institution’s Fejes Valley area
Minister of Public Administration and Regional Development
stated that the zoo’s development over the past fifteen years is significant for the city’s and the region’s economy
Veszprém Mayor Gyula Porga emphasized that the inauguration of the big cat enclosure is part of an ongoing process
The Veszprém Zoo is characterized by conscious and continuous development
The same long-term development is characteristic of the city of Veszprém
Government Commissioner responsible for the development and implementation of the Animal Protection Action Plan and Member of Parliament for the region highlighted the zoo’s popularity
boasting more than four hundred thousand visitors annually
Director of the Veszprém Zoo László Török told MTI after the ceremony that the big cat enclosure
along with the previously inaugurated bear enclosure and the domestic animal exhibit
as well as the complete replacement of utilities in the area
was realized as part of a roughly five billion forint investment package within the Modern Cities Programme
and Carpathian lynxes—the inhabitants of the big cat enclosure—have long been residents of the zoo
but their previous living conditions no longer met the most modern zoo and tourism standards
Sources: Hungarian Conservative/Veszprém Zoo/MTI
Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political
philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective
Round 2 of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2024/25 ended Thursday evening with title holders Barça surviving an impressive comeback by OTP Bank - Pick Szeged
the Spanish champions had to settle for a narrow 31:30 home win
SC Magdeburg downed Kolstad Håndbold 33:25 following a dominant performance.
Earlier Thursday, Veszprém HC took a stunning 41:28 victory over Paris Saint-Germain Handball – the biggest winning margin in any of the 17 duels the two powerhouses have played against each other
Sporting CP steamrolled Fredericia Håndbold in Denmark: 37:19
the biggest ever win in Europe's top flight for the Portuguese club
Veszprém HC (HUN) vs Paris Saint-Germain Handball (FRA) 41:28 (18:15)
The Paris Saint-Germain players certainly did not feel too unlucky going back to the dressing room only three goals down at half-time
the arrival on the court of Sergey Kosorotov gave the hosts the first breakaway of the evening
Scoring four goals while Rodrigo Corrales made save after save
the Russian left back gave Veszprém a first six goal advantage in the 23rd minute: 16:10
and with the help of their line players Luka Karabatic and Kamil Syprzak
Paris held on to their two-goal deficit for a couple of minutes after the break before Veszprém put the pedal to the metal again
with Mikita Vailupau scoring fast break after fast break
the hosts took a first 10-goal advantage at the 41th minute: 31:21
The gap between the two teams only grew further and reached 13 at the end – more than in any of the previous 16 duels between the two teams
And only a couple of saves by Jannick Green prevented Veszprém from handing Paris their biggest defeat ever in the EHF Champions League
which remains the 44:28 drubbing at the hands of THW Kiel in 2005
Fredericia Håndbold Klub (DEN) vs Sporting CP (POR) 19:37 (8:17)
It did not take long for Sporting to find their rhythm into the game
the visitors were already four goals ahead and had forced the hosts to take a first team timeout
Things did not improve for Fredericia afterwards
as the Danish side lost too many easy balls
offering their opponents fast-break opportunities
Francisco 'Kiko' Costa scored three early goals and in his wake
Sporting were ahead by 10 after just 22 minutes (5:15)
The Portuguese side did not slow down after the break
with Kiko Costa again and Salvador Salvador making sure the 10-goal lead would not be lost
Things did not improve for the hosts after the break
as Sporting picked up exactly where they had left off
Sporting made their advantage even bigger in the second part of the second half
It grew up to 18 goals at the final buzzer
with five players from the Portuguese side scoring four goals or more
while Francisco Costa proved to be the most prolific
Magdeburg put themselves in the driving seat within the first 12 minutes of the game
With Sergey Hernandez locking the door between the posts
the hosts were able to play fast and score easy goals
Albin Lagergren and Manuel Zehnder both scored three to put SCM ahead by seven after 12 minutes (10:3)
partly thanks to Torbjørn Bergerud’s saves
they were never able to reduce the gap to less than six goals
Magdeburg scored three straight goals for a nine-goal lead at the break
The time in the locker room benefited Kolstad
as the visitors came back with more aggressive defensive intentions
This allowed them to come back within six after 10 minutes
but Sergey Hernandez was quick to put his team out of danger again
the Swedish left back compiled eight in total to keep his team in the lead
With five players scoring four goals or more
Magdeburg pulled out a strong team performance to take their first points of the season
Barça (ESP) vs OTP Bank - Pick Szeged (HUN) 31:30 (20:12)
Just looking at the goalkeepers’ statistics was enough to explain Barça’s eight-goal lead at the break
Gonzalo Perez de Vargas put up a wall and stopped 11 shots
The Barça goalkeeper forced Szeged to shoot outside of the goal many times
Even though Tobias Thulin pulled out a good performance between the visitors’ posts
he could not prevent Barça from breaking away on the scoreboard
The advantage peaked at nine goals at the 24th minute when Jonathan Carlsbogard scored from distance
before Barça settled for eight at the break
The second half was much better for Szeged
as the Hungarian side was able to finally put their shots into the net
Mario Sostaric was elemental for the visitors
scoring eight in total and finishing the game as the best scorer
Szeged was able to reduce the advantage to one goal with a few minutes left to play
as Dika Mem had left the court with a shoulder injury
Emil Nielsen saved some important shots before wingers Manuel Ortega and Aleix Gomez sealed the deal for the hosts
The last night of the group phase matches was packed with drama
Sporting were second in the group prior to round 14
but the Portuguese side almost lost it all in Plock
drawing at the last second (29:29) and securing second place in the end
moved up a place to finish third — just above Paris Saint-Germain
despite the French side winning easily in Pelister
While Paris will face Szeged in the play-offs
Berlin will have to beat Kielce to progress to the quarter-finals
Dinamo Bucuresti secured fifth place by winning in Fredericia
Dinamo will meet SC Magdeburg in the play-offs.
One Veszprém HC (HUN) vs Füchse Berlin (GER) 32:33 (16:17)
who were already confirmed as group winners
with Mijajlo Marsenic scoring four in the first eight minutes
the hosts reacted and evened the score thanks to Aron Palmarsson
But Berlin kept their momentum throughout most of the first half
helped the visitors’ advantage grow to four goals at the 17th minute
A wisely taken timeout by Veszprém gave the hosts the opportunity to close the gap
and they levelled the score a couple of minutes later
and it was only logical that Berlin headed to the dressing room leading by one (17:16)
The break did not allow the hosts to gather their thoughts
the group leaders were also unable to stop their opponents
while Mathias Gidsel took things in hand in the last quarter
Gidsel netted three goals in a row at the start of the last 10 minutes to put the German side up by four
But just as it seemed Berlin were going to take a surprise win
With Dragan Pechmalbec putting an extra effort
Veszprém came back within one with 90 seconds to play
and even levelled the score 15 seconds before the end
But Tim Freihöfer did not shake when he had the opportunity to score the game-winner on the buzzer
netting his ninth goal to secure the two points for his team
Fredericia Håndbold Klub (DEN) vs Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) 32:37 (14:16)
Fredericia gave Dinamo a good run for their money on Thursday night
One fact tells you how close the first half of the game was: Neither team was able to take an advantage bigger than two goals before the break
the hosts were ahead through most of the start
but never managed to shake their opponents’ resistance
The Romanian side finished the first half in style
they proved better in the second part of the half
Thanks to two saves from Ionut Iancu and a steal from Branko Vujovic
Bucharest made it to the break with a two-goal lead (16:14)
The visitors stepped up a level in the second half
With Haniel Langaro and Stanislav Kasparek both netting five times
five six minutes later — it felt like Dinamo were cruising to an easy win
as Fredericia did not seem to be able to react
As Kasper Palmar netted penalties one after the other
the hosts narrowed the gap to two goals with seven minutes to play
But Dinamo reclaimed the game in the last five minutes
as Vujovic scored two straight goals to take a win that helped them secure fifth spot in the group
Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) vs Sporting CP (POR) 29:29 (17:15)
It only took six minutes for Wisla Plock to break away in the first half
While the teams were neck-and-neck for 15 minutes
the hosts pushed after a timeout to take a four-goal advantage
Mirko Alilovic was key for the Polish side
as his five saves gave the opportunity to his teammates to run fast breaks
scoring five in the first half alone to give Plock a maximum advantage of four goals
Only Martim Costa and Mamadou Gassama were able to find solutions offensively and
Plock even increased their advantage in the second half
The Slovenian playmaker and Gergö Fazekas scored a combined 17 goals
it seemed like Sporting would lose it all in Plock
But the last quarter was all in favour of the Portuguese side
helped by the impressive performance from Martim Costa (10 goals)
They were still down by one at the beginning of the last minute
but Mohamed Aly stopped a seven-metre throw from Zarabec
Plock lost the ball with five seconds left to play and Orri Þorkelsson did not waste the opportunity to even the score
29:29 — securing a historic quarter-final qualification for the Portuguese side
HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD) vs Paris Saint-Germain HB (FRA) 26:35 (13:18)
Needing a win to keep their direct quarter-final chances alive
Paris started the game with their foot to the pedal
the French side were already up by three with four minutes played
Filip Kuzmanovski was elemental in this process
as the Pelister back scored six in the first half alone
By the time Kuzmanovski had scored his fifth
The momentum did not stay with the Macedonian side for long though
PSG broke away again right before the break
What the team from Bitola were able to do in the first half — come back from a four-goal deficit — they did not achieve after the break
Paris kept on pushing and increased their lead to seven goals with still 18 minutes left to play
Andreas Palicka was the main protagonist in Paris’ breakaway
but the fact he left the court after an injury did not change anything in the course of the game
Palicka’s team were already firmly in control
and with Elohim Prandi in top form (eight goals)
the French side were never to be caught again
The top positions in both group of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League are confirmed since Thursday night: By winning their respective matches of round 12
Veszprém and Barça cannot get passed anymore in the rankings
Both will finish on top and both are the first sides to book their quarter-final tickets
Sporting and Berlin fight for the second spot
in group B the direct duel of Aalborg and Nantes in the final round will decide
GROUP AOrlen Wisla Plock (POL) vs Füchse Berlin (GER) 32:27 (19:11)
What is the secret behind Orlen Wisla Plock’s international resurgence over the winter break
the Polish champions followed up with another impressive victory
overpowering Füchse Berlin in the first half and securing a well-deserved win
the key players were Czech sharpshooter Tomas Piroch
and Icelandic goalkeeper Viktor Hallgrimsson
managing just six goals in the first 19 minutes
eventually stretching their lead to eight goals at half-time
Although the Foxes improved their attacking efficiency in the second half and reduced the deficit
Orlen Wisla Plock solidified sixth place in the standings with eight points
Berlin missed a golden opportunity to overtake Sporting CP and match second-placed Paris
but they still have a chance to secure a direct quarter-final spot
MOTW: One Veszprém HC (HUN) vs Sporting CP (POR) 33:32 (16:17)
high-quality Match of the Week in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League
Sporting’s Orri Freyr Þorkelsson had a chance to equalise but missed
securing Veszprém’s 11th victory in 12 group matches and confirming them as group winners
and Berlin remain locked in a battle for the second direct quarter-final ticket
Hugo Descat (8 goals) and Ludovic Fabregas (7 goals) combined for 15 goals for Veszprém
while Sporting’s goalkeeper André Kristensen stood out with 14 crucial saves
Þorkelsson and Martim Costa each netted eight goals for the Portuguese champions
leading by four goals multiple times before half-time
Just before the break the referee Jesper Madsen collapsed and had to be carried out of the arena on a stretcher
His colleague Mads Hansen had to officiate the remainder of the game alone
Madsen is reported to be in stable condition and is expected to recover fully
Veszprém gradually found their rhythm but the outcome remained uncertain until the final moments
Martim Costa’s last-minute equaliser (32:32) kept the tension high
but Marguc’s sixth and final goal clinched the victory for Veszprém
HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD) vs Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) 25:24 (12:13)
HC Eurofarm Pelister edged Dinamo București in a tense
The game-winning strike came three minutes before the final whistle
preventing them from securing an early playoff ticket
With Eurofarm Pelister and Plock now level on eight points
the Polish side holds the tiebreaker advantage
having won the direct head-to-head matchups by a +5 goal aggregate
Dinamo remain in fifth place with 10 points
Barça (ESP) vs Industria Kielce (POL) 30:28 (14:13)
In their first EHF Champions League match since the severe knee injury of goalkeeper Gonzalo Perez de Vargas—who is out for the rest of the season—Barça faced a tougher challenge than expected
Like in last week’s defeat against Magdeburg
Industria Kielce put up a strong defensive performance
Kielce have been overtaken by Kolstad in the standings and have dropped out of the top six for the first time this season
though the gap to Kolstad remains just one point
The first half was tightly contested and only the opening minutes of the second half proved decisive in this rematch of the 2022 Champions League final
Barça’s Emil Nielsen dominated the goalkeeper duel
making key saves that kept his team in control
When Xavier Rodriguez scored to make it 27:22
and Kielce’s late comeback attempt fell short
Top scorers of the match were Jorge Maqueda (Kielce) and Timothy N’Guessan (Barça)
the defending champions now sit at 19 points
As those two teams face each other in the final round
they cannot both reach 19 points—securing Barça’s top position since they hold the tiebreaker over both teams
Veszprém HC are the sole leaders of group A in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2024/25 after round 8
The four-time finalists defeated Orlen Wisla Plock 30:26 in the Match of the Week on Thursday
Füchse Berlin this time took a clear 38:29 win against Dinamo Bucuresti
having lost by seven goals against the same opponents in round 7
Barça strengthened their lead with a commanding 36:30 win over HBC Nantes
while OTP Bank - PICK Szeged beat Industria Kielce again
to overtake Nantes and climb to second spot
MOTW: Veszprém HC (HUN) vs Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) 30:26 (17:13)
In contrast to the teams' first duel three weeks ago
which was an equal affair for 57 minutes before Veszprém won it 27:24
this time the win from the Hungarian side was never endangered
The match was virtually decided when Veszprém led 24:18 in minute 46 and they decelerated from that moment on
Rodrigo Corrales won the goalkeeper duel with Plock's Mirko Alilovic and Viktor Hallgrímsson
Xavi Pascual’s team played with more confidence
while Xavier Sabate’s side was strong in defence – but in attack
only Miha Zarabec found the gaps for Plock
Aron Pálmarsson was awarded Player of the Match after scoring six goals
Füchse Berlin (GER) vs Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) 38:29 (22:14)
Füchse Berlin showed their best 30 minutes of this EHF Champions League season in the first half
wings Tobias Reichmann and Tim Freihöfer overran the defence
and Dinamo beat themselves conceding four empty-net goals almost in a row
Füchse goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev stood like a wall
In contrast to their 38:31 win in Bucharest
Dinamo seemed to have completely lost their confidence
But coach David Davis found the right words in the break (22:14) and while Berlin caused more mistakes
Dinamo reduced the nine to just three goals at 27:30 – but this was the wake-up call for Füchse
Industria Kielce (POL) vs OTP Bank - PICK Szeged (HUN) 31:35 (19:17)
While the reverse fixture in round 7 three weeks ago went down to the wire with the 28:27 only confirmed with the last shot
the decision in round 8 came a bit earlier
Szeged were initially ahead — but only by one or two goals
Both sides focused more on attack than on defence
Kielce pleased the home crowd with a two-goal lead at half-time
With Arkadiusz Moryto and Alex Dujshebaev on fire
the hosts remained ahead before a 10-minute spell in the middle of the second half turned the match around
while Kielce had enormous problems in scoring
Szeged used a 7:1 run to go from 27:24 down to 31:28 ahead in minute 53
Kielce came back to within one when Benoit Konkoud made it 32:31
Barça (ESP) vs HBC Nantes (FRA) 36:30 (19:14)
After Barça dropped their first point of the season in the reverse fixture in France three weeks ago (31:31)
they had few troubles beating the same opponents at home on Thursday
despite missing key player Dika Mem due to a shoulder injury
The match against Nantes was on equal level for 22 minutes (13:13)
but Barça took a decisive lead thanks to a 6:1 for a 19:14 half-time lead
but Barça regained control thanks to essential goals from their wings Aleix Gómez and Aitor Ariño
who brought the gap back to five goals again (31:26) with 10 minutes left
Barça's French left back Timothey N'guessan was his team's best scorer with eight goals
SC Magdeburg and PSG won the first play-off legs away
Les Rouge et Bleu take on Veszprém in their EHF Champions League Matchday 13 clash
A chance to look back at previous meetings between the capital club and the Hungarian side
Germany's SC Magdeburg and Hungary's One Veszprém HC faced off with the pride of a top European club in the first round of the EHF Men's Handball Champions League
The two teams tied 26-26 in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the 2024/25 season at GETEC Arena in Magdeburg
which will be played at home to Vesprem in Hungary next week
SC Magdeburg led the attack with eight goals by Albin Lagergren
five by Lukas Mertens and four by Omar Ingi Magnússon
Goalkeeper Sergey Hernandez worked hard with 11 saves
Vesprem led the attack with Ludovic Fabregas scoring a team-high nine goals
and Bjarki Már Elísson and Sergei Kosorotov scored three goals each
Goalkeeper Rodrigo Corrales also supported the team with 11 saves
The two teams achieved a perfect balance by attempting a total of 37 shots
and the goalkeepers were also fiercely competing
Corrales led Vesprem with seven saves (38.89% save rate) in the first half alone
and Hernandez responded with a decisive defense in the second half
dominated the game by making a four-point lead three times during the game
Magdeburg tied the game 7-7 in the 12th minute
But again Vesprem ran away and finished the first half with a 14-11 lead
Magdeburg quickly balanced amid Lucas Mertens' performance
and it was especially impressive to see the replacement fill the injury gap
Magdeburg turned the tables 26-25 with Omar Magnusson's penalty goal
but Palmarson scored the equalizer immediately and the match ended in a draw
SC Magdeburg coach Benett Wigert told the EHF
He played a frustrating game in the first half
but his fighting spirit in the second half was great
Everything will be decided on the Vesprem expedition
We are ready to put everything into our dreams," he said
I didn't think it would all end with today's result
I'll bet everything with my home fans next week," he said
expressing his determination for the second game
Game 2 of fate takes place at home in Vesprem
I'm looking forward to seeing how the final match for the Champions League semifinals will end
※ This service is provided by machine translation tool
The Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2024/25 returned this week following a two-week break
with four games opening round 8 on Wednesday night and four concluding the round on Thursday — including the Match of the Week
which saw a win for the Hungarian side.
That brings us to the end of the live blog coverage of the round 8 MOTW
The last fun fact about the MOTW is that this win was Veszprém's 250th overall in the Champions League.
Remember you can see highlights of all games on the Home of Handball YouTube.
Join us next week as the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2024/25 returns for round 9.
Aron Pálmarsson caps a triumphant return to Veszprém
taking the Player of the Match award in the first game where he makes his way onto the score board
The Icelandic back netted six goals and recorded three assists to contribute to the Hungarian team's seventh win of the season.
We are set for MOTW throw-off in just a few minutes! Join us now on EHFTV
The MOTW pits a few Icelanders against each other — Bjarki Mar Elisson and Aron Palmarsson for Veszprém
The three have played along side each other in the national team for many years now.
Palmarsson has recently made quite a sensational return to Veszprém
with the news of him coming back to the Hungarian club
for whom he played for two seasons from 2015 to 2017
Although he has played two matches back with Veszprém
Palmarsson has yet to net a Champions League goal this season
Hallgrímsson spoke about Palmarsson's return to Veszprém in the MOTW feature:
but it is great for the whole handball world
he knows the club and he still is a great player
he was my big idol when I started playing handball
Read about Palmarsson's return to Veszprém here.
With the group phase now past the halfway mark
round 8 is the first in which we see teams facing each other for the second time this season
That added another victory for Veszprém in the head-to-head record between the two
which now stands at nine wins for the Hungarian team
Plock were responsible for one of Veszprém's four losses in the group phase
Want to make sure you never miss a minute of the EHF Champions League 2024/25
sign up for our newsletter to receive weekly exclusives directly to your inbox
Good evening and welcome back to the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2024/25
round 8 opened on Wednesday night and we are counting down to the start of the Match of the Week
Getting started with some reading material — below
check out the MOTW feature with Plock's Icelandic goalkeeper Viktor Hallgrímsson
recap Wednesday's games with the day review
and brush up on tonight's games with the round preview
MOTW FEATURE: Plock’s goalkeeper is looking forward to an Icelandic duel in the MOTW against Vezsprém
DAY REVIEW: Croatian club beat Magdeburg for the first time in history
Danish champions win Scandinavian thriller
Paris Saint-Germain Handball travel to Hungary to take on Veszprém
Find out all you need to know about this EHF Champions League Matchday 2 clash
Veszprém have been on a roll so far this season
Easy winners over Dabas (42-28) and Balatonfuredi (28-38) in the first two rounds of the Hungarian league
Xavi Pascual's men have also made an ideal start to the Champions League campaign
the Hungarians overcame a five-goal deficit to claim a convincing 31-32 victory on German soil
Meanwhile, Les Rouge et Bleu continued their fine start to the season with a narrow 29-30 win over Limoges
Having beaten Pelister a few days earlier in a thrilling Champions League opener match (31-29)
Paris will now take on one of their main rivals in Group A
This clash between Veszprém and Paris will be an opportunity for both teams to renew old acquaintances
but also for the public to witness a top-of-the-table clash on all levels
After five years of bringing the Veszprém Arena to its feet
newly signed Parisian Yahia Omar will be making his return to his old stomping ground
Spanish goalkeeper Rodrigo Corrales and French international Nedim Remili will take on the capital club
for whom they have played for three and five seasons respectively
former Parisian right-back Remili scored 11 goals on Matchday 1
another face-off will take place between two Champions League-winning coaches: Xavi Pascual
who claimed three European Championship titles with Barcelona and arrived at Vezprém this summer from Bucharest
who won the continenbt's top competition with Vardar
Bucharest face an altogether different challenge at Plock on Wednesday
the Poles will be determined to kick-start their European campaign in front of their home crowd
will be looking to continue their positive trend when they play host to Füchse Berlin in what promises to be an electric encounter between two sides in search of their first win
Denmark's Fredericia play host to Sporting CP in their first-ever European Cup home game
the neophytes will be aiming to spring a surprise against the Portuguese
𝗧𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝟮#MOTW ✨ HBC Nantes 🇫🇷🆚🇵🇱 Industria Kielce Round preview 📝 https://t.co/cVEnLZFfti pic.twitter.com/aqy1D8NbDz
The clashes between Paris and Vezprém are always closely contested
and they almost always produce a great spectacle
Les Rouge et Bleu have so far accrued a slight advantage over their Hungarian rivals
with eight wins to one draw and six defeats in the 15 Champions League meetings between the two sides
The most recent head-to-head meeting saw Raul Gonzalez's men claim a thrilling 37-35 victory on the final day of the 2022-2023 group stage
Social media: Live-Tweet
Following the conclusion of the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship
with the 34:33 extra-time win for Veszprém HC against SC Magdeburg
the All-Star team of the competition has been announced
Remili has been fantastic for Veszprém in this competition
scoring 20 goals and delivering 17 assists
being the fulcrum of Xavi Pascual’s side in their succesful campaign
helping the Hungarian side secure their maiden title at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship
Corrales and Remili were joined by centre back Luka Cindric and left wing Hugo Descat
with the latter being the second best scorer of the competition
right back Omar Ingi Magnusson and left back Gisli Kristjansson have been selected in the All-Star team
with the last positions being completed by Barcelona’s right wing
The top goal scorer of the competition was Khaleej Club’s centre back
Top scorer: Mujtaba Al Salem (Khaleej Club) – 34 goals
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