After a month’s wait, the EHF Champions League Men will be back in action on Wednesday, 31 March with the Last 16 phase, where the 16 competing teams will face off with the goal to progress to the quarter-finals.

While some of the crucial doubleheaders might have a clear favourite, some powerhouses meet in an early phase of the season and an elimination of either team of the match-up could undoubtedly lead to labelling this season for the loser as ‘failed’.

Reigning champions THW Kiel have one of the toughest draws, meeting Hungarian powerhouse MOL-Pick Szeged. After an unexpected slow start, due to a COVID-19 outbreak in their roster and a slew of injuries, Szeged went slowly back to their best, but still finished sixth in the group, with six wins and eight losses.

Kiel shrugged off their own weak start, finishing the group phase with a winning streak of four games to end up in third place, just behind group winners Barça and Telekom Veszprem.

Barça, who swept their opponents and won all 14 games in the group phase, an unprecedented record in the EHF Champions League Men, will meet Norwegian champions Elverum, while Telekom Veszprem, the Hungarian powerhouse who still eye their first-ever trophy, face HC Vardar 1961 in an all-time classic.

With Veszprem being strong favourites, Vardar will try to emulate the final from the 2018/19 season, when the North Macedonian champions beat Veszprem 27:24. Yet, their challenge will be huge, after collecting only three wins in their first 14 games of the season.

Boasting the MVP of the 2019 and 2021 IHF Men’s World Championships in their roster, Mikkel Hansen, Paris Saint-Germain Handball will be looking to secure their ninth quarter-finals berth in a row when they meet Slovenian champions RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko.

An Eastern old-school doubleheader is crucial for both HC Motor Zaporozhye and HC Meshkov Brest, as the winner of the clash will earn their first-ever quarter-finals tickets in the EHF Champions League Men. Brest had their best season yet in the competition, finishing fourth in Group A after winning seven of their 14 games. Motor also won seven games in Group B, besting their top performance in the group phase.

While missing left back Dani Dujshebaev, Lomza Vive Kielce aim to return to Cologne for the EHF FINAL4, after missing it last season. The Polish side will now rely on Dani’s brother, right back Alex Dujshebaev, to carry on the form he displayed in the group phase, where he was the top scorer of the competition with 80 goals. Kielce will be facing a difficult tie against French outfit HBC Nantes, who had an underwhelming group phase, placing sixth in Group B.

Croatian side HC PPD Zagreb will need a miracle to proceed against top-seeded SG Flensburg-Handewitt, after becoming the first team to lose all their 14 games in the group phase of the competition. Back at their best and having three Egypt 2021 gold medallists – centre back Mads Mensah Larsen, right wing Lasse Svan Hansen and line player Simon Hald – and two silver medallists – centre back Jim Gottfridsson and left back Hampus Wanne – Flensburg are big favourites.

Meanwhile, in what could prove to be the most balanced tie yet, Portuguese side FC Porto are facing Danish team Aalborg Handbold. Buoyed by their 10 players who represented Portugal in the Tokyo Handball Qualification 2020 two weeks ago and qualified for the first time ever for the Olympic Games, Porto can turn the game upside down, despite Aalborg placing fourth in Group B, where they met Barca, Kiel and Veszprém.

EHF Champions League Men – Last 16 phase

M01: HBC Nantes (FRA) vs Lomza Vive Kielce (POL)
M02: MOL-Pick Szeged (HUN) vs THW Kiel (GER)
M03: HC Motor Zaporozhye (UKR) vs HC Meshkov Brest (BLR)
M04: FC Porto (POR) vs Aalborg Handbold (DEN)
M05: HC PPD Zagreb (CRO) vs SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER)
M06: Elverum Handball (NOR) vs Barça (ESP)
M07: RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko (SLO) vs Paris Saint-Germain Handball (FRA)
M08: HC Vardar 1961 (MKD) vs Telekom Veszprém HC (HUN)

Quarter-finals 

Winner M01 vs Winner M08
Winner M02 vs Winner M07
Winner M03 vs Winner M06
Winner M04 vs Winner M05 

Click here for more information about the EHF Champions League Men.

Photo: Telekom Veszprém HC / Vörös Dávid