Kielce headed for Lions’ den as Szeged entertain Barcelona

The opening two rounds in Group B of the VELUX EHF Champions league have produced riveting clashes across Europe and the next match week promises to be just as exciting.

Following their impressive wins over defending champions Barcelona and then KIF Kolding Kobenhavn, German league leaders Rhein-Neckar Löwen take on Polish champions Kielce in the round’s curtain-raiser.

Sunday offers a compelling tripleheader, garnished with a mouth-watering contest between Szeged and Barcelona while impressive newcommers Kristianstad welcome Macedonian giants Vardar.

The Match of the Week (MOTW) sees Montpellier meet KIF Kolding Kobenhavn in a clash of slow starters after both teams lost their opening two games.

GROUP B

Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER) vs KC Vive Tauron Kielce (POL)
Wednesday 30 September, 18:30 local time, live on ehfTV

The Lions from Mannheim have made the perfect start in Europe’s premier club competition and face another test of their credentials when they entertain Polish champions Kielce.

Having beaten holders Barcelona at home before brushing aside Kolding Kobenhavn away, Löwen have emerged as one of the competition’s early favourites on the back of two breathtaking performances.

Kielce, who breezed past Montpellier at home after the opening defeat to Szeged, know that they will need to be at their very best to stand any chance of getting a result.

Oliver Roggisch, Löwen’s former stalwart defender who joined the club’s staff after retiring last year, made it clear what he expected against Kielce, who finished third after reaching the FINAL4 last season:

“The opener against Barcelona was really great as it was played in a genuine Champions League atmosphere,” Roggisch told the club’s official website.

“After beating Kolding we expect the same kind of atmosphere in our arena as it would boost our chances of notching a third successive win in Europe’s top flight competition.”
 
Kielce, on the other hand, will hope to reproduce the flowing team effort which sank Montpellier, with the iconic Karol Bielecki serving up a vintage seven-goal performance for the Polish champions.

“Löwen are currently the best team in the competition alongside Vardar as they have won both their opening games and appear to be in the best shape,” Kielce coach Talant Duyshebaev told the club’s website ahead of their trip to Germany.

“Few teams are able to play such a great defence but we will fight hard for the full 60 minutes as our ambition is to come away with points from this tough fixture,” he said.
 
IFK Kristianstad (SWE) vs HC Vardar (MKD)
Sunday 4 October 16:30 local time, live on ehfTV

This promises to be a real cracker as Vardar have made the perfect start with two wins out of two while debutants Kristianstad, in their first season of the VELUX EHF Champions League Group Phase, have won the hearts of all neutral fans with their impressive performances against Kolding Kobenhavn and Barcelona.

Following the opening 33:26 mauling of Kolding Kobenhavn at home in a rip-roaring Scandinavian derby, Kristianstad pushed Barcelona to the limit in a narrow 34:32 defeat at the defending champions.

Hence they will be fired-up at home against a strong Vardar side that will see this match as an opportunity to keep their unbeaten run intact, but there is little doubt the Macedonian giants will have to dig deep into their resources.

In Kristian Bjornsen, Kristianstad have the competition’s early top scorer with 20 goals in two games after a pair of stellar displays against top level opposition.

Iranian Iman Jamali (12) and Jerry Tollbring (11) have netted a combined total of 23 and the potent three-pronged attacking force is likely to prove a handful for Vardar’s defence.

Coach Raul Gonzales acknowledged that Vardar could only benefit from a busy schedule as they take on Slovakian side TATRAN Presov in the regional SEHA league before their clash with Kristianstad.

“We didn’t play well in defence against Szeged, so we must improve against Presov, who are a good team at playing 5-1 and 3-3 defensive formations which don’t suit us,” Gonzales told the club’s website.

“We’ve had only one day to prepare for the match after a tough win against Szeged and we may rest a few players nursing knocks and bruises,” he added.

Kristianstad have a Swedish league test against Ystad on Thursday before they clash with Vardar and the fixture will give their coach Ola Lindgren a perfect opportunity to tune up his outfit for another crowd-pulling appearance in Europe’s top flight.  

MOL-Pick Szeged (HUN) vs FC Barcelona Lassa (ESP)
Sunday 4 October 17:00 local time, live on ehfTV

Undoubtedly the group’s Round 3 derby, with both teams looking for their best form after a patchy start.

Having been edged 22:21 by Rhein-Neckar Löwen, Barcelona somehow outmuscled Kristianstad 34:32 at home after a rather unconvincing performance which highlighted defensive frailties.

The departure of versatile Nikola Karabatic has left a void which new arrivals Filip Jicha and Marko Kopljar have been able to fill in attack but there remains a gaping hole at the back which the Swedish outfit exploited to a devastating effect.

Barcelona have found a welcome new attacking source in Tunisian left back Wael Jallouz, who scored six goals against Kristianstad and most of them at crunch time, when the visitors threatened to stage a remarkable upset.

With Jicha and Kiro Lazarov netting five each and Kopljar adding three, Barca will rely on their smooth and free-flowing attack to keep firing on all cylinders against Szeged in what is bound to be a fervent atmosphere in Hungary.

Szeged got out of the blocks with a creditable 31:30 home win over Kielce in the opening rebound before a tame 27:23 defeat at Vardar, where they could not recover from the home team’s blitz early in the second half.

Avoiding any such lapses in concentration will be crucial for the Hungarian side if they are to stand any chance of overpowering the envy of European club handball.

Their coach Juan Carlos Pastor will also hope that Swedish international Jonas Källman, who rifled in six goals against Vardar before limping off with injury, will be fit to face Barcelona.
“He is so useful at both ends of the court, in defence and attack, so losing him proved to be decisive against Vardar,” Pastor said after seeing his team forced into submission by the Macedonian outfit.
    
MOTW: Montpellier HV (FRA) vs KIF Kolding Kobenhavn (DEN)  
Sunday 4 October, 17:00 local time, live on ehfTV

Both teams will find it imperative to win this game after losing their opening two fixtures, meaning that we’re in for an exciting and perhaps nervy clash in France.

While Montpellier could not have expected to come out on top against Vardar at home or even more so Kielce away, Kolding Kobenhavn were stunned by the curtain-raising defeat at Kristianstad before Löwen blew them away in Denmark.

With the competition’s new format in place, the battle between these two sides is already shaping up into a dogfight to avoid early elimination.

The one positive Kolding Kobenhavn may have drawn from the 30:18 mauling by Löwen was the sound performance of Kasper Irming Andersen, who scored four goals and prevented an even bigger rout against the German giants.

Kolding will need Bo Spellerberg and notably Konstantin Igropulo to move up a gear after subdued roles which resulted in a modest combined tally of four goals.

Montpellier held their own in the opening period of their 30:23 defeat to Kielce but a second-half collapse condemned them to an emphatic defeat despite a good performance by six-goal Slovenian back Jure Dolenec.

Keeping turnovers down to a minimum will be crucial for their hopes of avoiding a third successive defeat after they threw away possession time and again in Poland, with Borut Mackovsek confined to just one goal while Baptiste Bonnefond netted five from 14 shots.