Dramatic round sets up EHF European Cup Men Last 16

VIF and SSV Brixen met in the only double-header over the weekend as the Faroese club are back in the EHF's club competitions after a 24 year absence. But the Italian club didn’t give the hosts an opportunity to celebrate.

The visitors won the first leg (37:35) despite an extraordinary performance by VIF left back Filip Jojic, who scored 17 goals. And even though the result was full of dramatic turnarounds in the return leg, Brixen celebrated their Last 16 entry with another win (38:37).

Jojic was an enigma for the Italian club once again as he scored an additional 10 goals, ending the round with 27 goals; on the other side, Tomas Valentin Canete finished the tie with 19 goals for Brixen.

• both finalists from the 2022/23 season are out of the race this season: titleholders Nærbø IL went out in round 2, runners-up Runar Sandefjord followed suit in round 3 as Bregenz Handball successfully defended their four-goal advantage gained from the first leg, despite the loss in Norway (29:28)
• FTC-Green Collect successfully mounted a comeback in the return leg against BSV Bern on home soil as the Hungarian club recorded a huge win (33:24), which nullified the Swiss team’s four-goal advantage from the first leg; the hosts’ left back, Bence Nagy, was the match's top scorer with nine goals
• SKKP Handball Brno, HC Dinamo Pancevo, Sezoens Achilles Bocholt, Spor Toto SK all recorded barren wins against RK Vogošca, CS Minaur Baia Mare, FH Hafnarfjordur and RK Sloboda, respectively, because the visitors’ advantage from the first leg was too big for the hosts to nullify it and the latter are travelling to the Last 16
• Olympiacos SFP confirmed their place in the Last 16 with a home win (36:28) in the return leg against MRK Trogir and the talented right wing, Dimitrios Tziras was the match’s top scorer with eight goals from as many attempts
• HCB Karvina, Valur, CSA Steaua Bucuresti and MRK Krka are through to the Last 16 after another dominant displays in the return legs against Rukometni Klub Leotar, HC Motor, HC Linz AG and HC Vise BM, respectively, against whom they have all recorded wins over the both legs in the ties
• IBV Vestmannaeyjar held Förthof UHK Krems to a draw (32:32) in Iceland and the same goes for BK-46 against RK Metaloplastika Elixir Sabac (30:30) in Finland, but the visitors' two-goal advantage from the first leg ensured them a place in the next round

Drama in Istanbul as penalty shoot-out decides winner

Besiktas Safi Cimento are through to the Last 16 after the Istanbul-based club first scored a last-minute equaliser against MRK Sesvete to level the tie (34:27) and nullify the visitors’ seven-goal lead from the first leg. Then, the hosts’ players were faultless from the seven-metre line in the penalty shootout and scored four goals compared to the opponents’ two. Right wing Enis Harun Hacioglu was the second-best scorer with 10 goals, including the crucial goal in the final seconds of regular time. In the end, the penalty shootout decided the tie in Besiktas’ favour: 65:63.

photos © 2023 Runar Sandefjord; Wolfgang Pichler