EHF Champions League Men back in full swing

11 Feb. 2021

EHF Champions League Men back in full swing

After an exciting Egypt 2021, where the best 32 nations were part of the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship, the players returned to their club teams, which resumed games, both in their domestic and the European competitions.

The EHF Champions League Men was back last week, with the top clubs in Europe back in action and star players putting up impressive numbers.

A crucial doubleheader in Group B produced free-flowing, entertaining handball, as the top two attacks in the competition collided two times in the space of one week.

And it was Barça who took both wins against Telekom Veszprém, with a 37:34 masterclass in Hungary, followed by another convincing 37:30 win in Spain.

Right wing Aleix Gomez Abello, who represented Spain at Egypt 2021 and won the bronze medal, was in top form in both games, putting 10 goals past Veszprém each time, as Barça extended their amazing winning streak to ten games this season to top Group B, with a seven-point cushion ahead of Veszprém, with only four games left.

Title holders THW Kiel came back roaring in 2021, after four games without a win in this group, with a convincing 34:23 win against HC Motor Zaporozhye. Croatian playmaker Domagoj Duvnjak shook out the disappointment at Egypt 2021, where Croatia failed to progress from the main round, and scored eight times, but Kiel are still in no man’s land, fifth in the standings, with only nine points after five games.

Despite having only six days of rest between leading Denmark to their second consecutive world title and playing for Paris Saint-Germain Handball in the European top competition, Mikkel Hansen was once again superb, lifting his side to a crucial 32:29 win against MOL-Pick Szeged in Group A.

The 10-goal outing propelled the MVP of Egypt 2021 to the top of the goal scorer ranking in the EHF Champions League Men, with 56 goals in seven games, an amazing feature for the Danish player, who was already the best scorer in the competition in the 2011/12 and 2015/16 seasons.

Hansen is still looking for the only trophy missing from his cabinet, the EHF Champions League Men, but PSG are still fourth in the ranking, seven points adrift of leaders Lomza Vive Kielce and SG Flensburg Handewitt, who both won their first games in 2021. However, PSG have two games in hand.

Four world champions in Egypt with Denmark men’s national team clashed on Wednesday in Nantes, as Emil Nielsen, the French side’s goalkeeper, faced Aalborg Handbold, who boasted Henrik Molgaard, Magnus Saugstrup, Nikolaj Laeso. 

The Danish side, who also had three silver medallists in Swedish players Mikael Aggerfors, Lukas Sandell and Felix Claar could not shake off a bad start. As Nielsen shut the goal, with 17 saves for a 37 percent efficiency, Nantes secured a 38:29 clear win, with Aalborg losing for the fifth time in their last six games.

Visit the official EHF Champions League website for more information.

PHOTO: HBC Nantes