All European teams make it to Super Globe semi-finals

VELUX EHF Champions League winners Vive Tauron Kielce and VELUX EHF FINAL4 participant Paris Saint-Germain celebrated victorious debuts at the IHF Super Globe at Doha.

Both European powerhouses as well as defending Super Globe champions Füchse Berlin won their quarter-finals at the unofficial club World Championship on Monday to make it to the semis.

Already on Tuesday, Kielce and PSG will face in the re-match of the 2016 Champions League semi-final, while Berlin will lock horns with tournament host Al-Sadd from Doha.

Kielce were dominant against Brazilian side Taubate, winner of the Pan American club championship, for 60 minutes, though the final result of 33:30 does not reflect this dominance.

Despite a full rotation throughout the match, the only tricky situation for Kielce was the intermediate score 21:20, then the team of coach Talant Dujshebaev decisively forged ahead to 29:24 with ten minutes left. Darko Djukic, Kielce’s Serbian new arrival from Besiktas, was top scorer with seven goals.

In contrast, PSG left no doubt against Esperance Tunis (Tunisia), the African representative. After a quite equal first-half (21:18), Paris overran their opponents decisively by a never endangered seven-goal margin (38:31). In his first official match for his new club, German left wing Uwe Gensheimer (arrived from Rhein-Neckar Löwen) netted in ten times for the French champions.

Now PSG are hungry to take revenge on Kielce. “They were the best team in Europe last season. They won the Champions League and we know that it will be a very tough game,” said PSG’s team captain Daniel Narcisse, adding: “We do not have a lot of time to prepare for this game but we want to give our best to see how we are going to play.”

“The only thing that counts is that we proceeded to the semis,” said Füchse Berlin coach Erlingur Richardsson after the unexpected close 27:25 (14:12) against Asian Club League winners Lekhwiya from Qatar.

The defending Super Globe champions and 2015 EHF Cup winners started weak, but managed to turn the match around until the break. But it took until minute 45 and the score of 22:18, when the match was decided. Serbian international Petar Nenadic, top scorer of the 2015 edition of the Super Globe, again was on top by eight goals for Füchse.

The fourth quarter-final was a clear matter for hosts Al-Sadd, as the Qatar based team took revenge for losing the 2015 quarter-final against Sydney University, leaving the Australians behind with 34:18 after an already exceptional 18:8 at the break.

Results of the quarter-finals:
Vive Tauron Kielce (POL) vs Handebol Taubate (BRA) 33:30 (21:15)
Paris Saint-Germain Handball (FRA) vs Esperance Sportive de Tunis (TUN) 38:31 (21:18)
Füchse Berlin (GER) vs Lekhwiya (QAT) 27:25 (14:12)
Al Sadd (QAT) vs Sydney University Handball Club (AUS) 34:18 (18:8)

Tuesday’s schedule:
13:00 local time: Placement round: Handebol Taubate (BRA) vs Esperance Sportive de Tunis (TUN)
15:00 local time: Placement round: Sydney University Handball Club (AUS) vs Lekhwiya (QAT)
17:00 local time: Semi-final: Vive Tauron Kielce (POL) vs PSG Handball (FRA)
19:00 local time: Semi-final: Al-Sadd (QAT) vs Fuchse Berlin (GER)

After a rest day on Wednesday, the placement matches and the final will staged on Thursday in the Duhail Arena in Doha.