After 111 exciting games, the curtain has finally fallen on the group phase of the newly-minted EHF European League Men, with 16 of the 24 teams progressing to the knock-out phase of the competition.

A challenging season saw nine matches postponed and, therefore, assessed by the EHF, yet the new competition proved to be exciting, as the 24 teams scored 6,361 goals in the 111 matches played, for an average of 57.3 scored goals per game.

None of the 16 teams that progressed to the Round of 16 finished the group phase undefeated, but two German sides, SC Magdeburg and Rhein-Neckar Löwen, came closest. Magdeburg, the Group C winners, were the closest, with nine wins out of ten games. Over in Group D, Löwen lost only one game and drew another, snatching eight wins.

In fact, it was total German domination, with all three Bundesliga sides who have progressed to the group phase winning their groups. In a more balanced Group B, Füchse Berlin took first place with 14 points, two more than French side Nimes, despite both their losses, assessed by the EHF, due to the German side’s travel restrictions.

Polish side Wisla Plock won Group A, after winning their first eight games, only conceding two losses when their place was already secured, in the last two matches.

From the 16 teams that progressed to the next phase of the competition, only three nations are represented by more than one side, with Germany boasting three teams, while France and Russia are each sending two teams. Poland, Spain, Austria, Sweden, Portugal, Croatia, Switzerland, Denmark and North Macedonia are represented by one side each.

While Dinamo Bucuresti, an undefeated team in the EHF Champions League Men last season, failed to progress from the group phase of the EHF European League Men this season, the most surprising name to advance to the Round of 16 was undoubtedly Austrian side Fivers. 

Before the last game of the group phase, Fivers boasted a two-point advantage over Fenix Toulouse HB and also won the first game between the two sides, 37:32. On their home court, Toulouse even took a five-goal lead with seven minutes to go, but the young Austrian side kept their cool and limited the loss to four goals, 29:25, securing an unexpected qualification to the knock-out phase.

The biggest win was recorded by French team Montpellier HB against Turkish team Besiktas (40:16) while the game with the most goals scored was between Fivers and Metalurg Skopje, 75, in a superb 45:30 win for the Austrian side.

Danish left wing Emil Jakobsen was the top scorer of the group phase, as the Egypt 2021 gold medallist scored 74 goals, 14 more than his teammate, centre back Simon Pytlick. The top three goal scorer standings was completed by Ademar Leon’s Spanish left wing Gonzalo Perez Arce, with 59 goals.

The next round of the competition will feature eight doubleheaders, which are scheduled on 23 and 30 March, with the away leg being played on the court of the better-placed team in the group phase.

EHF European League Men Round of 16 

GOG Handbold – CSKA Moscow
Sporting CP – Wisla Plock
Montpellier HB – Kadetten Schaffhausen
Fivers - Füchse Berlin
IFK Kristianstad – Abanca Ademar Leon
HC Eurofarm Pelister – SC Magdeburg
Chekhovskie Medvedi - USAM Nimes Gard
RK Nexe - Rhein-Neckar Löwen

PHOTO: Sörli Binder / Rhein-Neckar Löwen