Fiery clash between PSG and Barça headlines round 10
VELUX EHF Champions League action for 2019 concludes this weekend with round 10 before a two-month break. In group A, all eyes will, of course be on the clash between Paris and Barcelona. The Match of the Week could be decisive in the race for the first place, with only four games remaining after this one. But Szeged, playing Zagreb on Saturday, could also benefit from the result of this game to move up the rankings.
At the bottom, time is running out for Elverum. The Norwegian side will have one of their last opportunities to take some points and keep their hopes alive for sixth place.
Over in group B, the battle is getting hotter for first place after Veszprém cut Kiel’s advantage to only two points. This week the German club face Montpellier at home, while the Hungarian powerhouses, the in-form team of the group, travel to Skopje for a clash against a Vardar in turmoil.
GROUP A
MOTW: Paris Saint-Germain HB (FRA) vs Barça (ESP)
Sunday 1 December, 17:00 CET, live on ehfTV.com
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the two teams currently share top spot, both with 16 points
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Barça won the first leg of the confrontation at home, 36:32
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Nedim Remili, Paris’ right back, is still out due to an ankle injury while Victor Tomas and Luka Cindric, who suffered minor injuries, will take part in the game
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the French side have not lost a home game in the Champions League for more than five years. Their last defeat was in November 2014 against THW Kiel
MOL-Pick Szeged (HUN) vs HC PPD Zagreb (CRO)
Saturday 30 November, 17:30 CET, live on ehfTV.com
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currently third in the group, Szeged could take second place if they win this game, depending on the result of the clash between Paris and Barça
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the Hungarian side took the points in Zagreb five weeks ago, thanks to a 26:21 win
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Zagreb won their first game of the season last week against Elverum
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Zagreb’s coach, Veselin Vujovic, was sacked from his Slovenian national team position this week
Elverum Handball (NOR) vs RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko (SLO)
Sunday 1 December, 19:00hrs local time, live on ehfTV.com
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Celje are currently sixth in the group with six points while Elverum are eighth with a single point. The Slovenian side could leapfrog Flensburg for fifth spot if they were to win
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at home, Celje won the first leg 32:25
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Elverum’s best scorer, Sigvaldi Gudmunsson, has netted 43 goals so far, four fewer than Celje’s best scorer Josip Sarac
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Celje have taken two points away from home while Elverum’s only point was taken on home court
SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) vs Aalborg Handbold (DEN)
Sunday 1 December, 19:00 CET, live on ehfTV.com
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Aalborg won the first leg at home, 31:28, and that was the Danish side’s first ever win against Flensburg in the Champions League
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Aalborg have not taken a point in their last four Champions League games
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Flensburg have not taken any points in their last five games
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both teams are currently top of their respective domestic leagues
GROUP B
PGE Vive Kielce (POL) vs HC Meshkov Brest (BLR)
Saturday, 30 November, 15:00 CET, live on ehfTV.com
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after a four-game unbeaten run, Kielce lost their first game in a month against Veszprém last week, 28:24
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Brest’s away form is the biggest source of their woes, as the Belarusian side only won once in their past away 18 games in the Champions League
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Brest, in seventh, currently trail Vardar by five points, with the sixth-placed team due to qualify for the Last 16
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Kielce won eight games out of the nine played between the two sides, including a 31:27 win one month ago in Belarus
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with a win, Meshkov would claim their 30th win in the history of the competition
THW Kiel (GER) vs Montpellier HB (FRA)
Saturday, 30 November, 17:30 CET local time, live on ehfTV.com
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after a strong start, with six wins and one draw, Kiel have suffered of late, winning only three points in the past three games
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the German side saw their advantage cut only to two points ahead of Veszprém, after nine rounds
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Montpellier play better away from home – undefeated in four games, with three wins and one draw – as all three of their defeats came in France
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Kiel have won six of their seven mutual games, including a 33:30 win in the Match of the Week one month ago on Montpellier’s court
HC Vardar (MKD) vs Telekom Veszprem HC (HUN)
Sunday, 1 December, 17:00 CET, live on ehfTV.com
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Vardar only won once in the past six games, drawing one game and losing four. Veszprém, on the other hand, won four of their past five games
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Montenegrin left back Vuko Borozan will play for the first time in Skopje after leaving Vardar last summer for Veszprém
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Arpad Sterbik, Dejan Manaskov and Rogerio Moraes Ferreira also played for Vardar before donning the Veszprém shirt
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the two sides have met 10 times in the past but Vardar have only won twice; Veszprém have recorded seven wins, including a 39:30 victory in their mutual game a month ago
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Vardar have never won a home game against Veszprém; one of their two wins was in Hungary and the other at the VELUX EHF FINAL 4 final last season
TEXT: Kevin Domas & Adrian Costeiu / jh
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