The EHF FINALS Men 2021 line-up is now complete as four teams made it to the showdown in Mannheim after a hard-fought battle in the quarter-finals of the inaugural EHF European League Men season.

The German dominance was confirmed on Tuesday night, with three Bundesliga sides – Rhein-Neckar Löwen, SC Magdeburg and Füchse Berlin – progressing to the last act of the competition, alongside Polish side Orlen Wisla Plock.

All three German sides who started in the competition progressed to the EHF FINALS Men 2021, in a supreme show of dominance.

Hosts Rhein-Neckar Löwen looked to have an uphill battle after losing the first leg against Russian powerhouse Chekhovskie Medvedi 32:33, but an overwhelming start in the second leg in Mannheim was enough for the Lions to earn safe passage to the business end of the competition. Swiss centre back Andre Schmid scored eight goals in Löwen’s superb 37:27 win, as the hosts took a convincing 69:60 aggregate win against their Russian opponents.

With only one loss in 14 games, SC Magdeburg confirmed their superb form in European competitions this season, after taking the most lopsided win in the quarter-finals, with a flawless display against Swedish side IFK Kristianstad. A 73:59 aggregate win left little to discuss about the doubleheader, as Icelandic right back Omar Ingi Magnusson combined for 21 goals in the two legs to lift Magdeburg past their opponents.

After conceding a 29:32 loss in the first leg against Montpellier HB, Füchse Berlin bounced back superbly on their home court, taking a commanding 31:23 win against the French side to progress to the final weekend. 39-year-old Danish right wing Hans Lindberg turned back the clock with a vintage display, a 12-goal outing, and made the difference, as Montpellier’s attack was left scrambling for creativity and precision.

Finally, Orlen Wisla Plock secured their best-ever European performance, qualifying among the top four teams in a European competition for the first time ever. The Polish side had a mountain to climb after the first leg against GOG, which they lost 27:30. But Plock, led by Spanish mastermind Xavi Sabate on the bench, managed to keep the Danish side at only 26 goals, taking a superb 31:26 win, which translated into a 58:56 aggregate win. The top scorer of the competition, GOG’s Emil Jakobsen, was restricted to only four goals, while Polish left wing Przemyslaw Krajewski had his best outing of the season, with six goals, to lift Plock to the EHF FINALS Men 2021.

There will surely be a German side in the final, confirming the German dominance in the competition formerly known as the Men’s EHF Cup. 18 of the last 21 editions of the Men’s EHF Cup have been won by German sides, with Frisch Auf Göppingen and THW Kiel winning the trophy four times and SC Magdeburg being a close third with three wins.

The EHF FINALS Men 2021 will take place in Mannheim’s SAP Arena, Rhein-Neckar Löwen’s home arena, on 22 and 23 May, with the semi-finals being set after the draw on 27 April, at 11:00 CEST.

For more information about the competition, visit the competition website.

Photo: Eroll Popova