In the first match of the 2021/22 season, THW Kiel underlined their ambitions in the EHF Champions League Men on Wednesday evening with a 33:30 away victory against HC Meshkov Brest.

With goalkeeper Dario Quenstedt making nine saves and Swedish right wing Niclas Ekberg scoring 11 goals from 13 shots, the four-time EHF Champions League winners were never in danger against Meshkov Brest in Belarus.

GROUP A
HC Meshkov Brest (BLR) vs THW Kiel (GER) 30:33 (15:18)

• Brest's injured goalkeeper and team captain Ivan Pesic was replaced by Ilya Usik
• Kiel took their eighth victory against Meshkov from nine matches — and they gained revenge for the 33:30 defeat in February 2020
• Meshkov’s only lead in the match was at 1:0. At 8:4, Kiel had taken control, though Brest later reduced Kiel's advantage to one goal
• the first half was a personal duel between two right wings: Niclas Ekberg (Kiel) scored six of his 11 goals, while Brest’s Mikita Valupau converted five of his six shots
• at 29:24, five minutes before the end, the deal seemed to be sealed, but Meshkov reduced the gap to two goals. When Harald Reinkind’s strike put Kiel ahead 32:29, the German champions' victory was assured 

Nikola Bilyk back on international court

In the middle of August 2020, Nikola Bilyk suffered a severe knee injury, tore several ligaments and then missed all of the 2020/21 season. The Austrian left back needed exactly 364 days for his comeback in a test match.

In his first official match since returning, the German Super Cup, he scored the winner for Kiel. On Wednesday, though, the 24-year-old Austrian giant remained without a goal in his first match back in the EHF Champions League.