Vugrinec on top, jubilees for Barcelona and Kiel

Only 16 hours after the final whistle of the last VELUX EHF Champions League Last 16 match, the draw will be conducted in Vienna. After an overall of 136 matches of group phase and first knock-out stage it’s time to have another look on the most important facts and figures of the competition.

0 - times a winner of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 defended their title in Cologne. This tradition continues in this season too, as reigning champions HSV Hamburg bowed out in the Last 16

0 – teams have qualified for all four previous VELUX EHF FINAL4 events

0 – times before Vardar Skopje and Paris St. Germain had been part of a quarter-final of the VELUX EHF Champions League.

0 – was the final goal difference of the closest of all Last 16 encounters. Rhein Neckar Löwen clinched their berth by scoring more away goals against Vive Targi Kielce. The German side lost at Poland 28:32 and won at home 27:23.

1 – another premiere: For the first time two Macedonian sides made it so far in the EHF Champions League.

1 – fourth ranked team of the group phase made it to the quarter-finals: Vardar Skopje.

1 - team arriving from qualification made it to the quarter-finals: Metalurg Skopje.

2 – former EHF Champions League winners are still part of the race  to Cologne, representing ten trophies: record winner FC Barcelona (7 titles) and THW Kiel (3). Additionally Flensburg are the only team, which had been part of EHF Champions League finals (2004, 2007), but did not win the trophy.

2 – teams had been part of all quarter-finals since the implementation of the current playing system in the 2009/10 season: FC Barcelona and THW Kiel.

3 – teams of those, who are still in competition, have been part of previous VELUX EHF FINAL4 events in Cologne: FC Barcelona (2010, 2011, 2013), THW Kiel (2010, 2012, 2013) and Rhein Neckar Löwen (2011).

3 – teams won both Last 16 matches: FC Barcelona (against Aalborg), THW Kiel (against Zaporozhye) and Metalurg Skopje (against KIF Kolding-Kobenhavn). Additionally Vardar Skopje remained unbeaten (draw and win against Hamburg).

3 – group winners of the first stage are still in the two pots for the draw: Barcelona, Veszprém and Kiel. The only first ranked team, which is out already, is defending champions Hamburg.

4 – teams turned the aggregate result around after losing their respective matches of the first leg: Veszprém, PSG, Löwen and Flensburg.

4 - which means all teams, which had qualified from group 2 for the Last 16, have now made it to the quarter-finals: FC Barcelona, PSG, Vardar and Metalurg.

5 – nations are represented by the eight participants of the quarter-finals: Germany (three teams), FYR Macedonia (2), Spain, Hungary and France (each 1). Last season the quarterfinals were composed by teams from Germany (3), Spain (2), Hungary, FYR Macedonia and Poland (each 1).

5 – of those eight teams qualified for the 2012/13 quarter-finals too: THW Kiel, FC Barcelona, MKB Veszprém, Metalurg Skopje and SG Flensburg-Handewitt.

10 – victories in 12 matches is the record of THW Kiel and FC Barcelona in this season. Both each lost one match and tied once in the group phase.

12 – goals were the biggest difference in a single Last 16 match, made by Kiel against Zaporozhye (40:28).

12 – of 136 matches by now ended by a draw.

15 – times each FC Barcelona and THW Kiel have qualified for the quarter-finals of the EHF Champions League including the current season.

18 – goals was the aggregate final difference, Barcelona scored in their Last 16 matches against Aalborg, followed by a 15 goal difference of Kiel vs. Zaporozhye.

23 - goals were scored by Renato Vugrinec for his team Metalurg Skopje against KIF to become best scorer of the Last 16.

40 – goals was the lowest number in one single Last 16 match, made by Metalurg and Kolding in the first leg (23:17)

42 – goals FC Barcelona conceded in both Last 16 matches to have the strongest defence ahead of Metalurg (43) and Flensburg (53).

46 – times in 136 matches by now the away team was victorious.

68 – goals was the highest number in all Last 16 matches in the game of Kiel vs. Zaporozhye (40:28), followed by 67 in the match Plock vs. Veszprem (34:33).

71 – goals were scored by THW Kiel to have the best attack in the Last 16, followed by Veszprem (64) and PSG (62).

78 – of 136 matches by now ended with home victories.

85 – goals were scored by Vugrinec by now to lead the overall top scorer ranking ahead of Gasper Marguc (Celje/79) and Momir Ilic (Veszprém/77).

8,805 – spectators attended the match Löwen vs. Kielce in Mannheim to top this ranking, followed by 8,000 at the match Kiel vs. Zaporozhye and 6,963 at the match Metalurg vs. KIF.

Overall matches with the biggest numbers of goals in this season:

73 goals – HSV Hamburg vs. Gorenje Velenje (41:32)
72 goals – DROTT Halmstad vs. Gorenje Velenje (32:40)
72 goals – Naturhouse La Rioja vs. DROTT Halmstad (38:34)
71 goals - MKB-MVM Veszprém vs. Motor Zaporozhye (44:27)
71 goals – FC Barcelona – Wacker Thun (45:26)

Overall matches with the lowest number of goals this season:

38 goals - Dunkerque vs. KIF Kolding-Kobenhavn (18:20)
40 goals –Metalurg Skopje vs. KIF Kolding-Kobenhavn (23:17/L16)
43 goals – FC Porto vs. Dunkerque (22:21)
44 goals – FC Porto – Orlen Wisla Plock (20:24)
44 goals - Vardar Skopje vs. Metalurg Skopje (18:26)

Biggest goal difference in a single match in this season:

19 goals -  Barcelona vs. Wacker Thun (45:26)
18 goals - FC Barcelona vs. HC Metalurg (35:17)
17 goals - MKB-MVM Veszprém vs. Motor Zaporozhye (44:27)

Spectators:

15,320  - Dinamo Minsk vs. FC Barcelona
11,000  - RK Zagreb vs. MKB-MVM Veszprém
10,200 – THW Kiel vs. Vive Targi Kielce