The business end of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League is here, with only eight sides still left in the competition from the 16 which started the competition. 

The quarter-finals phase will decide the four participants for the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4, as the four teams which ended the group phase on the first two places in each of the two groups are returning to the competition.

Undoubtedly, on paper, the closest clash will be the one between the reigning Bundesliga champions, SC Magdeburg, and the reigning champions of the IHF Men’s Club World Championship, One Veszprém HC.

Veszprém are one of the favourites to finally secure the trophy in the European premium competition, after making the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 five times in the last 15 years without winning the competition.

So far, the Hungarian side, which has been boosted by the appointment of new coach Xavi Pascual last summer, have the best record in the competition, with 12 wins and only two losses.

Magdeburg, on the other hand, have won only six matches in the group phase, navigating through a tumultous season, and a plethora of injuries, but are right back in the game, having eliminated Romanian champions Dinamo București, with a 65:55 aggregate win in the play-offs.

The German side has also won nine of their last 10 matches in all competitions and are riding a six-match winning streak, as Veszprém’s path towards another international trophy after the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship last September, looks challenging.

The reigning IHF Male Player of the Year, Mathias Gidsel, will be looking to qualify for the EHF FINAL4 for the first time in his career, as his team, Füchse Berlin, faces last season’s runners-up, Aalborg Håndbold, in the quarter-finals.

In their maiden appearance in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League, Füchse have reached the EHF FINAL4, but that was 13 seasons ago, in the 2011/12 season, and they lost the semi-final against another Danish side, AG Kobenhavn.

Gidsel has been nothing short of outstanding this season in the European premium competition, being the second best scorer, with 106 goals, eight less than the All-Star right wing of the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, Mario Sostaric, who scored 114 goals for OTP Bank – Pick Szeged.

Füchse conceded five losses in the group phase, but went on to eliminate Industria Kielce in the play-offs, with a 70:64 aggregate win, while Aalborg conceded four losses in the group phase, yet will be boosted by the in-season signing of left back Sander Sagosen.

The big surprise of the play-offs was the fantastic win of OTP Bank – Pick Szeged against Paris Saint-Germain Handball, as the Hungarian side conceded a 30:31 home loss in the first leg, only to produce a miraculous display in the second leg, taking a 35:25 win for a 65:56 aggregate win.

However, as Szeged are aiming to secure their maiden apperance in Cologne, they will have a mountain to climb, facing the most decorated side in the history of the competition and the reigning champions, FC Barcelona.

The Spanish side had their mishaps this season, but are still one of the teams to beat, provided they continue their good form, which saw them secure 10 wins this season, with the third best attack and the fifth best defence in competition.

The last EHF FINAL4 place will be decided between HBC Nantes and Sporting CP. The Portuguese side, which will have the All-Star best young player at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, Francisco Costa, back in the squad after an injury, are the surprise package of the competition, having placed second in a tough group, earning a quarter-finals berth.

Sporting have conceded only four losses and have one of the best defences in the competition, plus the second best goal difference, being a fantastic team on their home court.

On the other hand, Nantes have made the EHF FINAL4 only once, in the 2020/21 season, when they lost both matches.

The quarter-finals of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League will take place over two legs, with the first leg scheduled for 23 and 24 April, with the second leg played on 30 April and 1 May.

The TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 is due to be played in the LANXESS Arena in Cologne on 14 and 15 June.

Machineseeker EHF Champions League – quarter-finals

Füchse Berlin (GER) vs Aalborg Håndbold (DEN)
HBC Nantes (FRA) vs Sporting CP (POR)
OTP Bank – Pick Szeged (HUN) vs FC Barcelona (ESP)
SC Magdeburg (GER) vs One Veszprém HC (HUN)

Photo credit: One Veszprém HC