Group B results - Round 14

Szeged - Zagreb: 26-26
The clash between Szeged and Zagreb was important for Les Rouge et Bleu. Not because the second-placed Hungarian side were their closest rivals, but rather because, with a win, the Croatian side would clinch fifth and then face off against the capital club in the quarters. David Mandic (8 from 9) and his teammates almost pulled off the upset result - they were just two goals down as the home stretch approached (51’: 21-23). Unfortunately for them, they had a dry spell in front of goal (57’: 25-23) and needed a final strike from Mandic - 20 seconds form the final buzzer - to avoid defeat. Szeged and Zagreb ended the group stage in second and sixth places respectively.

Flensburg - Nantes: 29-29
A little earlier in the week, Flensburg played host to Nantes at the Flens Arena. Both sides were looking to clinch the best possible finish, with Nantes looking to steal third from Flensburg with a win. Despite an excellent start (11’: 10-5), the German side had to dig very deep to defend their place on the podium, with Hampus Wanne hitting a penalty on the final buzzer to clinch a draw. The Germans and The H thus shared the points and finished respectively third and fourth.

Skjern - Celje: 35-32
Finally, the clash between Skjern and Celje was something of a dead rubber, with both sides effectively eliminated before the match even began. That didn't stop the locals from ending their European journey on a positive note, with future Nantes 'keeper Emil Nielsen (13 saves) playing a key role in the win alongside Anders Eggert. At almost 37 years of age, the Danish left-winger still knows how to score plenty of goals, as his magnificent 6 from 6 against the Slovenian 'keeper showed. The win took Skjern above Celje on the table, but both sides ended in the drop zone.

Round of 16 fixtures:

(Credits: TeamPics/PSG)