All of the winners of the last 12 editions of the IHF Men’s Club World Championship have qualified for the quarter-finals of this season’s Machineseeker EHF Champions League, with FC Barcelona, SC Magdeburg, Füchse Berlin and Veszprém HC still in the hunt for the big trophy.

While the first three sides were already qualified in the quarter-finals by finishing on the top two places in their groups in the first phase of the competition, Veszprém HC had to push through the play-offs against another strong side, French champions Paris Saint‑Germain Handball, which they eliminated after a strong outing in the first leg.

In that match, Veszprém dominated from start to finish, delivering another blow to an embattled PSG side which has underperformed this season. Three French players – wings Hugo Descat (10 goals) and Yanis Lenne (six goals) plus right back Nedim Remili (four goals) - were Veszprém’s top scorers, as the Hungarian side secured a crucial win, 32:24.

The eight-goal advantage was never in doubt in the second leg, when Egyptian backs Ahmed Hesham and Yehia Elderaa scored each six goals for Veszprém, in a game where they never went down by more than three goals, to eventually clinch a draw, 35:35, and set up a majestic quarter-final against Mathias Gidsel’s Füchse Berlin.

It is the second consecutive season when PSG have been eliminated from the play-offs, after making the EHF FINAL4 six times in eight seasons.

Arguably the biggest shock of the play-offs was Industria Kielce being eliminated by OTP Bank – PICK Szeged, after the Hungarian side, which finished sixth in their group, took a 26:23 home win in the first leg and kept their cool throughout the second match, which ended in a 32:32 draw.

Serbian centre back Lazar Kukic was the best scorer for Szeged in both matches, with six goals each, as the Hungarian side followed Veszprém in the quarter-finals, where they are due to face SC Magdeburg, the current champions.

HBC Nantes will reedit their bronze medal match from last season against FC Barcelona, as the Spanish giants, the reigning champions in the IHF Men’s Club World Championship, will be favoured in this quarter-final.

Nantes struggled against GOG, which led by as many as seven goals in the first leg, and by two goals with one minute to go, only to find themselves at the losing end after the final whistle, 33:34.

Nine goals from veteran Valero Rivera in the second leg propelled Nantes into the quarter-finals, thanks to their 40:28 win, as they will be the only French team in this phase of the competition.

Sporting CP had 10 goals from Francisco Costa and nine goals from his brother, Martim, in the first leg against Orlen Wisła Płock to take a 33:28 win, with the two brothers keeping their output in the second match, when they scored eight and seven goals respectively.

Sporting will aim for their maiden EHF FINAL4 appearance when they are due to face Aalborg Handbold, Denmark’s champions, in the quarter-finals.

In total, two teams from Germany and Hungary, and one each from Denmark, France, Portugal and Spain will compete in the quarter-finals, which are due to take place on 29/30 April and 6/7 May, with the winner of the doubleheaders progressing to the FINAL4 scheduled for 13 and 14 June in the LANXESS Arena in Cologne.

Machineseeker EHF Champions League– play-offs

OTP Bank – PICK Szeged (HUN) vs Industria Kielce (POL) 58:55 on aggregate (26:23; 32:32)
Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR) vs Orlen Wisła Płock (POL) 60:57 on aggregate (33:28; 27:28)
GOG (DEN) vs HBC Nantes (FRA) 61:74 on aggregate (33:34; 28:40)
One Veszprém HC (HUN) vs Paris Saint‑Germain Handball (FRA) 67:59 on aggregate (32:24; 35:35)

Machineseeker EHF Champions League– quarter-finals

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

Credit photo: Veszprém HC