Group B results - Round 8

News

Mid-week winners away to Flensburg (20-27), Paris Saint-Germain Handball stretched their lead atop the Group B table and could sit back and watch as Round 8 played out over the weekend.

Nantes - Zaporozhye: 23-27

The surprise of the rond came from Nantes, where Group B wooden-spoon contenders Zaporozhye got the better of last season’s Velux EHF Champions League runners-up. After a timid start to the match (11’: 2-4), Thierry Anti’s Nantes side looked to have hit their stride (30’: 13-12) only to come unstuck with an underwhelming second-half performance that saw them relinquish the lead shortly after the break and never regain it as Lithuanian playmaker Aidenas Malasinskas led the way with 8 from 12. The Ukrainians thus climb off the bottom of the table and now sit just two points shy of third-placed Nantes.

 

Szeged - Skjern: 33-33

Les Rouge et Bleu were most interested in this clash between their nearest rivals, second-placed Szeged, and Danish outfit Skjern. After an excellent start to the Velux EHF Champions League season, Szeged headed into this Round 8 match trailing Paris Saint-Germain Handball by two points. However, the Hungarian side turned in an uncharacteristically vulnerable performance at home to Skjern on Sunday, falling behind early in the second half (38’: 18-22) before turning things around (58’: 33-31). But then the tables turned once more, with Kasper Sondergaard and Thomas Mogensen both finding the net to clinch a draw for the Danes. Szeged remain second but now trail Paris Saint-Germain Handball by three points.

 

Celje - Zagreb: 30-21

At this stage of the competition and with the table as tight as it is, every single point counts - as Celje are no doubt well aware. Heading into Round 8, the relegation-threatened Slovenian side found themselves needing a win at home to Zagreb in order to keep their hopes alive - and they did just that, in stunning fashion. With an on-fire Branko Vujovic (7 from 10) leading the way, they dominated the full 60 minutes against a Zagreb side that could only muster a 48% scoring rate from their efforts on goal. In Zagreb’s defence, they were up against an Klemen Ferlin, who saved 14 of 33 shots (43%) from the Croatian forwards. Celje are now among the teams who find themselves on the verge of qualification, while Zagreb sit at the foot of the table.

 

Round 9 fixtures:

- Szeged - Paris: Saturday 24 November, 17:30 (beIN SPORTS Max 10)

- Zagreb - Nantes: Saturday 24 November, 19:15

- Skjern - Flensburg: Sunday 25 November, 16:50
- Zaporozhye - Celje: Sunday 25 November, 17:00

(Credits: TeamPics/PSG)