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This week the EHF European League Men will see many group frontrunners battling to reach the top spots on their respective tables as the group phase reaches midway with round 5, starting on Monday.
In group A, before this round, Plock and Leon lead with four points. The situation also applies in groups B and C, in which three clubs (Berlin and Sporting CP in group B; Montpellier in group C) are currently on four points. In group D, Rhein-Neckar Löwen will try to remain unbeaten in the competition when they open the round in Hungary on Monday night.
GROUP A
Fenix Toulouse HB (FRA) vs Orlen Wisla Plock (POL)
Tuesday 1 December, 18:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com
- the teams are currently tied at the top of the group with four points. However, Plock have played only two games, while Toulouse have played four
- Wisla have not lost a game since September 5, combining seven wins: five in the Polish league and two in the European League
- five Plock players have played for a French side before in their career and one for Toulouse: Spanish centre back Alvaro Ruiz Sanchez
- Toulouse are currently in ninth place in the French Lidl Starligue, with three wins from five games
Fivers (AUT) vs Abanca Ademar Leon (ESP)
Tuesday 1 December, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com
- since October 10, Fivers have played six games, recording five losses and just one victory, at home against Toulouse in the last European League round
- the Austrian side are in third place in the domestic league – nine points behind leaders Tirol, who have played two more games
- Leon are currently fifth in the Asobal League, after their win against Guadalajara (36:30) over the weekend
GROUP B
Füchse Berlin (GER) vs CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU)
Tuesday 1 December, 18:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com
- Füchse Berlin are one of the great candidates to win the trophy and remain invincible thus far
- Dinamo Bucuresti have played one game away from home in the EHF European League, losing to Kristianstad
- Both Füchse Berlin and Dinamo Bucuresti come into this round from victories in round 4
- Dejan Milosavljev (Füchse) and Stefan Vujic (Dinamo) usually play together for Serbia
IFK Kristianstad (SWE) vs TATRAN Presov (SVK)
Tuesday 1 December, 18:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com
- IFK Kristianstad arrive in this round from a defeat at home against Sporting CP
- TATRAN Presov, Slovakian champions since 2006/07, have earned 10 victories in 10 games in their domestic championship
- the teams faced each other in the EHF Cup in 2014, with one victory for each side
- Gregor Ocvirk (Kristianstad) will find two fellow Slovenian players (Nino Grzentic and Lucijan Fizuleto) at Presov
Sporting CP (POR) vs USAM Nimes Gard (FRA)
Tuesday 1 December, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com
- Sporting CP have collected two wins in two games of the EHF European League
- USAM Nimes enter this round on the back of two defeats in this competition (Dinamo and Kristianstad)
- Sporting CP have lost only one game this season, against FC Porto, while USAM Nimes could have started the French league stronger
- Sporting’s French wing Arnaud Bingo will play against many compatriots
GROUP C
HC CSKA (RUS) vs Besiktas Aygaz (TUR)
Tuesday 1 December, 18:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com
- this match is the first between the teams in European competitions
- Besiktas are still without a European League win, while CSKA overran Nexe in the last round
- CSKA will probably miss Dmitry Ilchenko, who suffered an injury in round 3 against Magdeburg
- after a win against Nexe, CSKA won a domestic league match versus Dynamo Astrakhan and are currently third on the points table
- on the other hand, Besiktas are second in the Turkish league after a win against Göztepe
RK Nexe (CRO) vs SC Magdeburg (GER)
Tuesday 1 December, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com
- the teams have met four times before – in the EHF Cup in 2011/12 and 2016/17, with Magdeburg winning all four clashes
- Tomislav Severec might come back to the court for Nexe after an injury, and Halil Jaganjac, who had back pain after a fall against CSKA, should be ready
- Nexe want to get back on the winning track after a good season opener against Alingsas, while Magdeburg were surprised by the Swedish club in the last round, losing by one goal
- the defeat against Alingsas seemed to have an impact on Magdeburg – Leipzig won by four in Magdeburg’s latest Bundesliga match
Montpellier HB (FRA) vs Alingsas HK (SWE)
Tuesday 1 December, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com
- Tuesday will bring the first match between these two clubs
- the French team are on a winning run – after a decisive European League win against Besiktas, they secured their fifth victory in the domestic League, against Dunkerque
- the Swedish side are flying on the wings of their recent victory over Magdeburg, now counting eight wins in their domestic league
- Alingsas line player Alex Franzén, who has scored 14 goals in the EHF European League so far, suffered a foot injury in the home match against Sävehof and will not be ready for Montpellier
GROUP D
Grundfos Tatabanya KC (HUN) vs Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER)
Monday 30 November, 18:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com
- this will be the first time these sides lock horns in an official match
- Löwen have won both previous games, against GOG and Pelister, while Tatabanya only had one match so far, a 26:28 home defeat against Trebnje
- Tatabanya right back Gabor Ancsin played for Löwen from 2009 until 2011
- Löwen are enjoying a great run in the Bundesliga, topping the table after eight victories from nine matches ahead of Kiel. Their last result was an impressive 37:24 win against Wetzlar
- Tatabanya have played only four matches in the Hungarian league and rank eighth
- the match will be played in Audi Arena in Györ, regular home of the defending DELO EHF Champions League title holders
RK Trimo Trebnje (SLO) vs HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD)
Tuesday 1 December, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com
- like Tatabanya, Trimo have only played one match so far, while Eurofarm Pelister have one point from three matches in their account
- coaches Uros Zorman (Trebnje) and Zeljko Babic (Pelister) were opponents as players. Now, their new clubs duel for the first time ever in an official match
- since the renaming to Eurofarm Pelister, the club have not won an international match
- while Eurofarm Pelister still wait for the SEHA-Gazprom League to start, Trebnje were defeated for the first time in their ninth match of the Slovenian league, 25:27 at Gradec
TEXT: Björn Pazen / Tiago Nogueira / Danijela Lemaić / Kevin Domas / cg
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