Preview of VELUX EHF Champions League Round 3

Nine teams are still unbeaten, five of them have a clean record – but especially MKB Veszprém have to climb a high mountain on Round 3 of the VELUX EHF Champions League as the away team at last season’s finalist Atlético Madrid to keep their sport clean.

Defending champions THW Kiel start the next round on home ground against Constanta on Thursday – the same day, when Kadetten Schaffhausen hope for their first point against RK Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb. The ehfTV.com Match of the Week (MOTW) will bring the top clash of Montpellier and Hamburg. And on Saturday two brothers will face each other.

Group A:
RK Partizan Beograd (SRB) vs. Reale Ademar León (ESP)
Saturday, 18:00 hrs local time in Niš

In the previous VELUX EHF Champions League season RK Partizan showed their best of all matches against León, losing only by three goals – and in the current season the Serbian champions showed convincing performances though they still wait for their first point. The newly formed team from Spain surprisingly won their past encounter at Montpellier and can outdistance the host by a defeat already.

Montpellier Agglomération HB (FRA) vs. HSV Hamburg (GER)
Sunday, 19:00 hrs local time (ehfTV.com MOTW)

What’s going on at the French champions? After the start of the investigations against several players because of match fixing allegations in the French league, Montpellier only won one point from four matches – and mostly again will replace their top stars like the Karabatic brothers. If they lose again, the pressure will rise as then HSV would already have four more points on their account. Hamburg have best memories at their last match at Perols, as they beat MAHB in the 2010/11 season in their first ever match at their new arena 30:26. But Hamburg have injury problems, as after Oscar Carlén and Torsten Jansen now also Marcin Lijewski is out. Hamburg are still unbeaten after a victory at León and a draw against Medvedi.

SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) vs. Chekhovskie Medvedi (RUS)
Sunday, 17:30 hrs local time

They nearly could have stayed in Germany, as Chekhovskie Medvedi have their second match in only eleven days on German ground after the draw in Hamburg on 4 October. Like HSV both competitors have three points on their account – and the winner already make a major step towards the Last 16. It is six years ago that both teams faced in the EHF Champions League for the last time, with Flensburg winning the home match 34:29 after a defeat at Chekhov.

Group B:
THW Kiel (GER) vs. HCM Constanta (ROU)
Thursday, 20:00 hrs local time

Milutin Dragičević arrives at his former home: The Serbian pivot had played for two years for THW, before moving to Constanta, now he and his team-mates hope for a sensation, but are the clear underdog at the defending champions. Kiel have won both encounters at Madrid and on home ground against Sävehof, as the Romanian champions lost both matches against Sävehof and Veszprém.  

RK Celje Pivovarna Laško (SLO) vs. IK Sävehof (SWE)
Saturday, 20:00 hrs local time

Below the three top teams Kiel, Madrid and Veszprem the remaining trio hope for the last spot for the Last 16 – so all direct duels have a major significance. Sävehof advanced by a home victory against Constanta, now the match at Celje will bring an early pre-decision in case the Swedish champions take their next victory. The Slovenian runners-up have lost both encounters against the top teams Veszprem and Madrid, but really improved on home ground, forcing the Spaniards to give all they have to win. Sävehof were chanceless at Kiel in round 2.

Atlético Madrid (ESP) vs. MKB Veszprém (HUN)
Sunday, 18:00 hrs local time

László Nagy will have his first ever match on Spanish ground, since he returned from Barcelona to Veszprém. And this encounter at the Spanish capital might already guide the way for the upcoming rounds. No one expects the same clear result as in the previous season, when Madrid easily took the points by a 37:28, as both teams have changed, and especially Veszprém reinforced their squad. The Hungarians have four points on their account, as Madrid want to take revenge for their opening home defeat against THW Kiel. In the 2008/09 season Madrid (Ciudad Real) eliminated Veszprém in the quarter-finals of the EHF Champions League.

Group C:
Vive Targi Kielce (POL) vs. Gorenje Velenje (SLO)
Saturday, 17:00 hrs local time

Kielce are in a brilliant form and want to match their record of winning three straight matches from the previous season. Another win would underline the dominant position of the Polish champions in this group. The match will be a special duel for Kielce’s top scorer Ivan Čupić, as he had played for Velenje some years ago. The Slovenians have two points on their account, but were hit hard last weekend by the defeat at Metalurg.

St. Petersburg HC (RUS) vs. Chambéry Savoie (FRA)
Saturday, 19:00 hrs local time in Chekhov

A path-finding encounter for the rest of the Group Phase will take place at Chekhov: St. Petersburg and Chambéry have started with two defeats each and both urgently need the points to catch-up to teams like Bjerringbro or Velenje. As the defeats of the Russian runners-up against Velenje and Kielce more or less had been expected, Chambéry are currently are the negative surprise of the VELUX EHF Champions League after losing against Metalurg and Bjerringbro.

Bjerringbro Silkeborg (DEN) vs. HC Metalurg (MKD)
Sunday, 17:00 hrs local time in Kjellerup

Are the Danish runners-up able to cause the next surprise and take the swing of their first ever VELUX EHF Champions League against Chambéry? Metalurg should be warned by this result – but the Macedonians are on a high flyer too with four points after two matches. If Bjerringbro win, the group is nearly equal again, if Metalurg use their favoured role for another victory, Skopje are already close to the Last 16.

Group D:
Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI) vs. RK Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb (CRO)
Thursday, 20:00 hrs local time

Last season the fans in the BBC arena saw a Hitchcock thriller when both teams clashed – in the end Zagreb took a highly close 28:27 victory. But times have changed for both teams, as both lost several key players. Zagreb have coped in a better way with this situation, being still unbeaten after a victory against Szeged and a draw at Minsk. On the other hand the Swiss champions urgently need a successful match, still waiting for their first points. Kadetten hope to take the advantage from their home right, as Zagreb hope to continue successfully with their young team – another thriller can be expected.

FC Barcelona Intersport (ESP) vs. HC Dinamo Minsk (BLR)
Saturday, 16:15 hrs local time

It is a very rare constellation that brothers face in a VELUX EHF Champions League match – the duel of Raul and Alberto Entrerrios culminated in the VELUX EHF FINAL4 final in 2011 between Barcelona vs. Madrid, for example. On Saturday two different brothers will face each other for the first time on international court: Siarhei (30) and Dzianis (26) Rutenka. The elder one in the jersey of Barcelona, the younger for Dinamo Minsk. Some weeks ago both wore the same shirts in the Belarusian national team, now they are opponents for 60 minutes. And the roles are clearly marked in this first ever duel in history of both teams – Barcelona are the clear favourite against Minsk, not only because of the home advantage. The record winner of the VELUX EHF Champions League have easily taken four points including a clash against Berlin, Dinamo have one point from the draw against Zagreb on their account.

Pick Szeged (HUN) vs. Füchse Berlin (GER)
Sunday, 16:00 hrs local time

One defeat, one victory – this is the balance of both teams after two matches in the VELUX EHF Champions League. But the psychological initial situation could not be more different: On one hand Pick winning against Schaffhausen by a final second goal, on the other hand Berlin losing at Barcelona 23:34. The only good omen for Füchse is their one and only VELUX EHF Champions League result on Hungarian ground: a sensational 33:24 victory at Veszprém in the past season. Having the home advantage on their side, Pick hopes for another sensation, but past season’s VELUX EHF FINAL4 semi-finalist Berlin are supposed to be the favourite.