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The EHF Champions League returns for the first time in 2021 with six rescheduled matches on Thursday and Saturday.
In group A, Meshkov will try to add a fifth win to their home winning streak, as they could beat an all-time record by taking the points against Flensburg.
Szeged host Paris on Saturday, while Porto can move up the table if they take points against Vardar on Thursday.
Group B resumes with three matches on Thursday. Recently crowned champions THW Kiel are tested by HC Motor, with the Zaporozhye side in stellar form with six wins in a row. HBC Nantes hope for their first home victory against Celje - but the top match is definitely Veszprém vs Barça, aiming to get back on track after both losing to Kiel in the EHF FINAL4.
GROUP A
HC Meshkov Brest (BLR) vs SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER)
Thursday 4 February, 18:45 CET, live on EHFTV
- this is a rescheduled game from round 8
- three Danish players won the World Championship with their national team last week: Simon Hald, Lasse Svan and Mads Mensah Larsen. Jim Gottfridsson and Hampus Wanne also played the final of the competition with Sweden.
- Meshkov played four home games this season in the EHF Champions League and won them all
- the first leg between the two teams ended in a draw, 29:29
FC Porto (POR) vs HC Vardar 1961 (MKD)
Thursday 4 February, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV
- this game is rescheduled from round 9
- Porto are currently fifth in the group, with six points across eight games played, while Vardar stand last, having only played five games
- Vardar collected their first point this season in the first leg against Porto in a 25:25 draw
- Vardar signed Montenegrin left-back Vasko Sevaljevic this winter. The 32-year-old played in France for the past six seasons (Toulouse, Tremblay, Istres)
MOL-Pick Szeged (HUN) vs Paris Saint-Germain HB (FRA)
Saturday 6 February, 20:00 CET, live on EHFTV
- his game is rescheduled from round 1
- Danish left-back from PSG Mikkel Hansen won the world title last week with Denmark. He was also elected MVP of the competition
- two Spanish players, who won bronze in Egypt, will be on the court : one for Szeged (Joan Canellas) and one for Paris (Ferran Sole)
- Paris only won once in Szeged, back in 2017, at the quarter-final stage (30:27). Overall, Paris won four of the eight confrontations between the two sides, with Szeged taking three.
GROUP B
THW Kiel (GER) vs. HC Motor (UKR)
Thursday 4 January, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV
- Kiel will have their first match after winning their fourth EHF Champions League trophy end of December
- Motor are the surprise package of this season as they have won their last six group matches and rank third
- currently and after three victories, one draw and four defeats, Kiel are five points behind Motor
- Kiel have never lost in an official match against Motor, their balance is three victories and one draw.
- Danish brothers Niklas and Magnus Landin just became world champions in Egypt for the second time
Telekom Veszprém HC (HUN) vs. Barça (ESP)
Thursday 4 January, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV
- both sides had been part of the EHF FINAL4 at the end of December and both lost against Kiel - Veszprém in the semi-final, Barça in the final
- Barça have won all eight group matches so far and extended their impressive series to 22 EHF Champions League victories in a row, before they lost the final of the 2019 VELUX EHF FINAL4 against Kiel
- the overall balance of this duel includes 14 victories of Barça, one draw and six wins for Veszprém
- both sides have the best attacks of all teams with 290 goals (Barça) and 276 goals (Veszprém)
- both Barça goalkeepers returned home with medals - as Kevin Möller won gold and Gonzalo Perez de Vargas bronze
HBC Nantes (FRA) vs. RK Celje Pivovarna Laško (SLO)
Thursday 4 January, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV
- the duel is crucial for the sixth position and the last spot in the knockout phase as Nantes have four points and Celje only two
- the 31:25 away victory in the first leg at Celje was one of only two group phase wins for Nantes
- HBC have not won any home match so far, while Celje took their only points away at Zagreb.
- in the French league, Nantes are currently fifth, while Celje top the table in Slovenia after 13 victories in 13 matches
TEXT: EHF / Kevin Domas
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