Summary: Thrilling draw in MOTW; Veszprém count to 37

• first legs of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2023/24 play-offs, with the aggregate winners of each two-leg tie progressing to the quarter-finals
• Thursday:
  • in the Hungarian derby Telekom Veszprém beat OTP Bank - PICK Szeged 37:30
  • Orlen Wisla Plock couldn't pull of an upset against Paris Saint-Germain Handball (26:30) 
• Wednesday:
  • in MOTW HC Zagreb and Montpellier HB drew 27:27
  • Industria Kielce enjoyed a comfortable win 33:25 on the road against GOG
• read the round preview and watch all matches live on EHFTV (subject to geo-restrictions)
• follow the official EHF Champions League socials on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook
• all photos courtesy of the home teams

THURSDAY 28 MARCH

23:14

That concludes our coverage of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2023/24 play-offs leg 1. But, there's not much rest for the teams involved, as we return on Wednesday 3 April with leg 2.

That day, Kielce play GOG and Montpellier host Zagreb, while on Thursday 4 April we have Veszprém vs Szeged and PSG vs Plock.

Good night and see you then!

23:08

To wrap up today's live coverage, enjoy some of the pics from Plock.

22:54

In three minutes and six seconds check out the highlights from PSG's victory in Plock.

22:52

Our day review is published as well. Danijela Vekić summed up all the most important events of the day.

22:47

For Plock, however, will it be mission impossible? We'll see next week in Paris.

22:43

It will be a pleasant trip back to Paris for the French side after tonight's win in Poland.

22:27

A four-goal lead is pretty much realistic. Sure, PSG were five goals in front at one point, but also Plock were at times only two or three goals behind. While the first half was evenly matched, in the second PSG were able to step it up and control the match until the end.

Prandi and Syprzak both scored eight goals, with Green saving 10 shots for PSG. Plock's goalkeepers Jastrzebski and Alilovic saved only five shots combined. On the offensive end, Zarabec and Krajewski scored four goals apiece.

All in all, a routine victory for PSG, while Plock need a miracle in the French capital.

22:23 | FULL-TIME

ORLEN WISLA PLOCK - PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN HANDBALL 26:30

A good performance in the end for PSG. It wasn't their best display by no means, but it was good enough to outscore Plock tonight. Considering the Polish side won only one match on the road in the group phase (Celje), and PSG lost only one home game in the same period (Kiel), the French side are surely heavy favourites to progress to the quarter-finals.

22:14

Perhaps a vital save from Jannick Green before Plantin scores his first goal of the night from the penalty spot. PSG have surely secured a win (28:23), but it's important what the difference will be ahead of the second leg.

22:10

Good reaction from the French champions who now constantly have a three or four goal lead. Right now it's 26:23. Plock managed to come to only two goals, but PSG immediately responded with two goals in quick succession. Timeout by Raul Gonzalez on the PSG bench. Six and a half minutes to go.

22:03

Indeed, Mihic and Zarabec take advantage of Karabatic's suspension. PSG's lead is reduced to 23:20.

22:01

A second two-minute suspension for the legendary Nikola Karabatic, who hasn't played a lot tonight. There's a chance maybe for Plock to narrow the gap. Less than 15 minutes until the end.

21:58

PSG are slowly running away with a win here. They're finding the net more often and easier than in the first half. Plock are struggling to keep up, so the French side lead 22:17 after Syprzak's fifth goal of the night.

21:53

After 10 minutes of play in the second half it's 5:3 to PSG, in total 18:15. Still a closely fought match which, unfortunately, never quite kicked off and reached the levels we saw in Szeged earlier tonight.

21:45

For the first time tonight, there's a three goal difference on the scoreboard. Syprzak converts the penalty shot so PSG lead 17:14. Timeout Sabate.

21:39

We're back in Plock where it's all tied again as Plock level the score at 13:13.

21:29

"We weren't prepared for this... Veszprém were better in every element of the game. With so many mistakes you can't play against such a good team. Because of our fans, I'm sorry we couldn't make the match closer, I felt uncomfortable because our game fell apart. I can promise we will try to prepare as much as possible for next week and try to do a miracle!", were the words from Krisztián Kárpáti, Szeged's coach.

His counterpart Momir Ilic agreed his team played a terrific match.

"We won and performed quite fantastic. Everyone knows how difficult it is to play and win here, we have succeeded - but we know we are only at the half of the battle. Corrales was great, had 16 saves, which is amazing."

21:27

Also, here are the highlights from the Hungarian derby.

21:26

During the break in Plock, we bring you some of the best photos from Szeged where Veszprém secured a seven-goal advantage (37:30) ahead of the second leg. 

21:23 | HALF-TIME

ORLEN WISLA PLOCK - PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN HANDBALL 12:13

A tight, evenly matched encounter in the first 30 minutes, with no team having more than a two goal cushion. Balaguer secured a minimal lead for the French side in the final seconds.

PSG will start the second half with a man down because of Tønnesen's two-minute suspension received in the final moments of the first period.

21:12

Two penalty shots missed now in a short period. Jastrzebski saves Balaguer's shot and then on the other side Lucin completely misses the goal. Both teams now with a two-minute suspension and PSG lead 10:9.

21:04

PSG just starting to look a little bit more dangerous in attack. They defend a few plays as well and now lead 7:6.

21:00

In comparison to the previous match, a considerably slower pace in Plock. The hosts looking quite solid so far, they lead 5:4 thanks to Krajewski's goal.

20:54

One two-minute suspension on both sides so far, with Tin Lucin scoring twice already from the penalty spot. Plock opened up a 2:0 lead, then PSG levelled and now it's 3:2.

20:47

Good atmosphere from the home crowd in ORLEN Arena as we start the match. But, we stop after only 14 seconds because it seems the home fans have showered one of the goals with confetti. It's all cleared up and we resume after a short break.

20:43

"Nevertheless, my career has been nothing but amazing. I am 37 years old, on my way to 38, but I am still feeling strong, and I still love what I am doing. I still love handball, I still love the challenge, I still love stopping shots. I love being there and trying to win, alongside my teammates."

This is PSG's goalkeeper Andreas Palicka.

And this is our feature "This is me" starring the Swede.

20:40

Let's take a look at some of the quotes before the match. Xavier Sabate, Plock's head coach:

"We are playing against a great rival - the French league leaders who are having a great season. We are aware that we are not favourites, but either way we will try to get a good result in our first game at home with the support of our fans, who will cheer us on as always. We will see what happens at the end of the play-off phase as they are the favourites, but we will fight nonetheless."

20:37

Only eight minutes to go until the throw-off in Plock.

20:32

Last week Wisla suffered their first domestic defeat this season. Kielce beat them in Plock and took their first spot in the rankings. PSG scored an expected win against Limoges to stay comfortably at the top of the table of the French championship.

20:28

Final match of the week takes place in Plock where Wisla host PSG. The Poles finished sixth in group B with 11 points, while PSG ended up third in group A with 17 points.

Team from the French capital are obviously the favourites. Not only because of higher quality, but also because of their head-to-head which says 6-0 in favour of PSG.

Despite that, in the French camp they are surely aware of Plock's last season's exquisite performance. Wisla eliminated Nantes in the play-offs before narrowly losing out to Magdeburg 52:50 on aggregate. The German side, of course, went on to win the competition.

20:23

Szeged worked extremely hard in both halves. In the first one they were six goals behind, in the second seven, and in both cases managed to work their way back into the match. At the break the difference was only three goals and in the middle of the second period only two, but each time Veszprém were able to find higher gears again and pull away.

Descat and Vailupau scored seven goals each, Remili and Pechmalbec five each for the winners, while Rodrigo Corrales wrapped up the match with 15 saves (34.88 per cent efficiency).

As for the hosts, Frimmel scored six, Garciandia five, with Stepancic and Mackovsek four each. Emil Imsgard had a very good second half with nine saves, but it wasn't enough for Szeged who now have a mountain to climb in the second leg.

20:16 | FULL-TIME

OTP BANK - PICK SZEGED - TELEKOM VESZPRÉM 30:37

Before the match we talked about Veszprém's offensive power. Szeged failed to suppress it and therefore suffered a tough loss. It's been a brilliant performance from the Hungarian champions who have put themselves in a commanding position before the second leg in front of their home crowd.

The only time Szeged seriously threatened Veszprém was in the second half at 28:25 when the hosts had the opportunity to narrow the gap down to only two goals. They couldn't do it, and in the remaining period they never fully recovered. In the final second Sandell scored for a monumental seven-goal advantage for Veszprém.

20:08

It's all over here. Jelinic hits the post from the wing with Veszprém leading 34:27. But, like we mentioned, every goal counts. Six minutes left in this match.

20:05

Veszprém again have the momentum with a 3-0 run to make it 32:26. Kárpáti called for a break to try and stop Veszprém's run.

20:01

We reach the final 10 minutes in Szeged. Veszprém still control the result (30:26), but every goal matters because don't forget - we still have the second leg as well.

19:56

Huge difference now as Imsgard makes several consecutive saves. That was the part that was missing for Szeged during the bigger part of the first half. Szeged failed to convert their attack to make it a two-goal game, instead Pechmalbec scored for 29:25.

19:51

Good spell of play now from Szeged, as they go on a 4-1 run and force Momir Ilic to call for a timeout. The guests still lead (28:24), but the hosts are refusing to back down. Terrific, entertaining match!

19:48 | HIGHEST ADVANTAGE FOR VESZPRÉM

A goal from Vailupau moves Veszprém closer to victory as it's a seven-goal advantage for the first time (26:19). The home crowd is kind of disheartened and you could somehow read from Szeged players' faces that they don't know what to do anymore, how to stop this incredible offensive performance from Veszprém.

19:43

Veszprém pick up where they left off in the first half. With five goals in a little over five minutes they lead 25:19. It's three goals in a row now for the Hungarian champions who are once again six goals ahead, just like they were on several occasions in the first period.

19:37

We resume play in Szeged.

19:29

Hugo Descat leads the scoring charts with six goals.

19:27

Veszprém have already broken the 500-goal mark this season by scoring their 11th in Szeged. With 20, they're now on 509 goals in CL. They do what they do best - outrun and outscore their opponents - however Szeged have refused to surrender, and why should they. There's enough firepower among their team, although it remains to be seen whether they can keep it up in the second half.

For sure, they will have to improve defensively because 20 conceded goals with just the four saves from their goalkeepers (all of them from Mikler) simply won't be enough.

19:21 | HALF-TIME

OTP BANK - PICK SZEGED - TELEKOM VESZPRÉM 17:20

What a first half in Szeged! A total of 37 goals have been scored by the Hungarian giants. Veszprém with the upper hand during the entire 30 minutes, with Corrales on goal (eight saves) and a total of 10 goals from the Frenchmen Descat and Remili, they were six goals in front for a few times, but Szeged fought admirably and managed to stay competitive after a horrible start. Still all to play for in the second period.

19:15

All credit to Szeged who have managed to claw their way back in this match. Pechmalbec's two-minute suspension paved the way for Frimmel and Garciandia to reduce Szeged's deficit to only two goals, 17:15. Six minutes to go in the first half.

19:10

Szeged are trying so hard to string a few good defensive plays together, but Veszprém are not to be denied. Frimmel converted Mikler's save to bring Szeged only three goals behind their opponents, however the guests wasted no time in scoring again to make it 17:13 (Remili). Descat has scored five goals so far, Remili four, so it's the Frenchmen who lead Veszprém.

19:06 | SZEGED FIGHT BACK

First timeout for Ilic after Szeged score twice without reply (Mackovsek, Sostaric) to close the gap to only four goals (14:10). That came after Jelinic's two-minute suspension which is still valid.

19:03

Finally, after 14 minutes of play here's Szeged's first save of the match thanks to Mikler. Even so, Veszprém's offensive stats are unreal. If they keep this up - which would probably be impossible - they would finish the match with 52 goals! 

19:00

Veszprém are simply outplaying and outrunning Szeged at the moment. Their attacks last maybe 10 seconds at the most, they're ruthless in counter attack and Corrales is on a 50 per cent efficiency rate on goal.

That being said, Szeged have responded with several goals of their own, but they can't defend anything. It's 12:7 to Veszprém after Mikler came in instead of Imsgard who hasn't saved a shot so far.

18:53 | BRILLIANT START FROM VESZPRÉM

Stepancic scores Szeged's first goal, but immediately Vailupau responds via fast break. Corrales then makes another brilliant save which enables Descat's another easy goal. Nightmare start for Szeged as they trail 6:1 after less than seven minutes. Timeout Kárpáti.

18:51

Good news for Veszprém, Corrales has made two saves already. Firstly, he denied Sostaric from the penalty shot and then Stepancic from outside, while Fabregas, Descat twice and Fathy quickly put the guests 4:0 in front! Only five minutes have passed.

18:45

Match in Szeged is under way!

18:41

Main thing for Szeged surely has to be to somehow limit Veszprém offensive power. Ilic's team have scored the most goals in group phase (489 to Szeged's 401) and last season they netted as many as 74 times in two games against their main rivals. If the four-time EHF Champions League finalists manage to find their rhythm, Szeged will have a difficult evening.

18:35

A total of 21 players on both sides have played the Men’s EHF European Championship 2024. With such quality on Ilic's and Kárpáti's disposal, and with the Pick Arena completely sold out, it should be a cracking match in Szeged.

18:25

"It's a great feeling to be a part of such a duel, I can't wait to run into the packed Arena. It's impossible to play a bigger, more important match than the one against Veszprém, it's worth playing handball for those!", said Szeged's left wing Sebastian Frimmel.

He will be hoping to put as many balls behind the back of Rodrigo Corrales, Veszprém's goalkeeper. Here's what the Spanish international had to say before the derby:

"This match has a great importance to both sides, and we must not forget that the quarter-finals are at stake. Accordingly, we will need an outstanding performance. It is true that two matches will decide which team go through, but we want to be in a good position after the first match. We will have to play handball smartly and prepare for all scenarios."

18:20

Here are the teams Krisztián Kárpáti and Momir Ilic chose for tonight's clash!

18:14

Both teams are warming up with half an hour left until the throw-off in Szeged.

18:08

Veszprém enter this match with a psychological edge over their opponents. Not only did they beat them last year in the play-offs, but they're also in better form. In 2024, they managed nine wins in all competitions and only one loss (Magdeburg in CL).

Meanwhile, Szeged scored six wins and four losses, three of which consecutive in Europe's top tier competition.

Also, Veszprém remain leaders in the Hungarian league after their weekend victory in Dabas (40:32) while Szeged remain second after beating Csurgoi (41:25).

18:00

This is actually a rematch of last season's play-offs clash. That time, Veszprém progressed pretty comfortably - 36:23 and 38:33 - before losing out to Kielce in the quarter-finals.

Since that match, the two teams have played six times against each other, with Veszprém winning four times, and Szeged twice. Veszprém also are the current Hungarian champions after beating who else than Szeged in the finals, and they've also beat their main rivals the last time they met, which was in the domestic championship last November (30:25).

A lot of history between the two giants who know each other better than probably any other team in Europe.

17:55

So, we start the day with the clash between two strongest Hungarian teams, Szeged and Veszprém. In the group phase Veszprém, who have travelled a little less than 300 km east for this match, ended up in third place of group B, behind current champions Magdeburg and Barcelona, with 20 points.

Szeged finshed sixth in group A with 13 points, but with three straight losses. Luckily for them, they managed to outscore seventh-placed Kolstad by just two points and eventually reach the play-offs.

17:49

In yesterday's matches we saw a thrilling draw in MOTW between Zagreb and Montpellier, while Kielce put themselves in a comfortable position before the second leg against GOG. Read all about it in our day review right here:

17:45

Good day everyone and welcome to day two of Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2023/24 play-offs leg 1. Two more brilliant match-ups are on the cards tonight.

Starting at 18:45 CET, we have the big Hungarian derby between OTP Bank - PICK Szeged and Telekom Vezsprém HC, and at 20:45 CET we head to Poland where Orlen Wisla Plock host Paris Saint-Germain Handball.

WEDNESDAY 27 MARCH

23:10

That brings us to the end of the live blog coverage of this opening night of Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2023/24 play-offs. Join us tomorrow as the first legs continue with two matches:

• 18:45 CET Szeged vs Veszprém
• 20:45 CET Plock vs Paris Saint-Germain

I leave you with the highlights of the MOTW in Zagreb, where the home side and Montpellier played a thrilling draw. 

22:56

Missed the action today or just want to relive it? Check out the day review below for a recap on all the two first-leg play-off matches. 

22:49

A MOTW means a Player of the Match award! Montpellier back Diego Simonet scooped it tonight thanks to his six goals, three assists, and generally superb performance in the crucial end stages of the game in particular. 

The Argentinian back was named MVP of the EHF FINAL4 when Montpellier won the title in 2018, and tonight showed he is still a vital cog for the French side. 

22:43

The first day of first-leg play-offs comes to an end and we have two very different scenarios on our hands. The tie between GOG and Kielce is very much skewed towards the Polish side following their eight-goal win, while Zagreb and Montpellier start the reverse fixture completely level due to their draw in the MOTW. Remember that the team that wins each tie on aggregate will progress to the quarter-finals. 

In the quarter-finals, the winners of the GOG vs Kielce tie will meet defending title holders SC Magdeburg, and the winners of the Zagreb vs MHB pairing will take on THW Kiel. 

The four teams on court today return for their second legs next Wednesday, April 3. 

22:27 RESULT | MOTW ZAGREB VS MONTPELLIER 27:27

Montpellier have the last attack but do not manage to find the goal and Zagreb do not have time to respond after the ball is lost. Zagreb have the chance for a win off a long-range free throw after the buzzer, but the difficult shot cannot be made and the game ends in a draw that leaves the second leg entirely open. 

22:20 58th MINUTE | MOTW ZAGREB VS MONTPELLIER 27:27

Montpellier lose the ball twice in a row and Zagreb miss the chance to capitalise the first time around, as Remi Desbonnet saves the fast break that comes racing down Montpellier's end. But the Croatian team do not falter the second time, with Miloš Kos levels the game and goalkeeper Matej Mandic saves the attempted response from MHB. 

And so we enter the last two minutes with the MOTW level. 

22:15 55th MINUTE | MOTW ZAGREB VS MONTPELLIER 25:26

Last five minutes and just one goal in it. Montpellier keep the edge but Zagreb are breathing down their necks as both put on a great performance in crunchtime. 

22:11 53rd MINUTE | MOTW ZAGREB VS MONTPELLIER 23:25

Montpellier maintain the lead but it's far from a secure one, and it looks as though we are set for a thrilling end to this MOTW. 

But no matter what the result at this point, something else is for sure: The second leg of this play-off tie looks to be a scorcher, as whoever wins tonight, it seems the score line at what is effectively half-time of the encounter will be very close. 

21:59 45th MINUTE | MOTW ZAGREB VS MONTPELLIER 18:21

It turns out to be temporary relief for Zagreb, as Montpellier reclaim the upper hand and enter the final quarter of the match with a three-goal advantage.

The goalkeeper contest from the first half has all but vanished, with only three saves made in this half. Meanwhile, Diego Simonet has been having a big impact for the French team, with some handy goals and seamless work on the back court.  

21:47 35th MINUTE | MOTW ZAGREB VS MONTPELLIER 14:13

Zagreb equalise the game for the first time since the third minute, then take the lead for the first time in the match courtesy of three unanswerd goals in a row, from Ivan Cupic, Davor Cavar and Zvonimir Srna. Montpellier have yet to score in the second half, while Zagreb seem to have returned from the break with new power.

An incorrect substitution was costly for Montpellier, as they received a two-minute suspension for that error right after Diego Simonet was sent off in defence, leaving the French team two defenders down and creating the unmissable chance for Zagreb. 

21:41 31st MINUTE | MOTW ZAGREB VS MONTPELLIER 11:13

Back to it in the MOTW, with Zagreb still chasing their visitors but a match on equal footing unfolding.

21:25 HALF-TIME | MOTW ZAGREB VS MONTPELLIER 11:13

Montpellier hold on to a two-goal lead as we go the break in the MOTW. Montpellier keeper Charles Bolzinger is the individual standout of the half, with eight saves at a rate of 42.11 per cent. 

21:17 26th MINUTE | MOTW ZAGREB VS MONTPELLIER 9:11

The last five minutes of the half in a fiery Arena Zagreb, where both teams are finding more and more attacking power and the defensive stops are dropping. Montpellier are relying goals coming in all over the court, while Zagreb's backs are taking charge with some super goals from the likes of Miloš Kos and Luka Klarica. 

21:11 20th MINUTE | MOTW ZAGREB VS MONTPELLIER 6:8

A timeout helps Zagreb get back on track and start to find the goal again, as the Croatian side dramatically improve their attacking statistics. But the goalkeepers are still making their presence well and truly known, as both Matej Mandic for Zagreb and Charles Bolzinger for MHB count six saves and rates of over 40 per cent.

21:00 12th MINUTE | MOTW ZAGREB VS MONTPELLIER 1:4

Almost 10 minutes without a goal for home side Zagreb, as they watch Montpellier pull away by three. It's mainly the attacking end where Zagreb see their problems, as their defence and a 50 per cent save rate from Matej Mandic help the Croatian side keep their visitors in check. 

But at the other end of the court, Zagreb are attacking at an extremely low efficiency of eight per cent and shooting at 14 per cent, while Charlez Bolzinger sits on an unbelievable 80 per cent save rate with four saves for MHB.

20:53 6th MINUTE | MOTW ZAGREB VS MONTPELLIER 1:2

The MOTW is so far a super goalkeeper battle, with Matej Mandic having made three saves at a rate of 60 per cent for Zagreb and Charles Bolzinger having stopped two at 66.67 per cent between Montpellier's posts. 

Zagreb are not capitalising well on the saves however, and although it's early days and tight, Montpellier look to have a little more momentum. 

20:46 1st MINUTE | MOTW ZAGREB VS MONTPELLIER 0:0

Just like the opening play-off in GOG, the first attack in the MOTW sees a goalkeeper celebrating, as Matej Mandic stops Montpellier's first attempt. 

20:38

The MOTW is up and running on EHFTV, as Zagreb and Montpellier take the court for their first-leg play-off. 

20:34

Zagreb's top scorer this season is one of the members of the illustrious 1,000 goal club in the top flight: Timur Dibirov. The wing has netted 53 times this season, and has scored 1,163 in his career in the Champions League. 

Despite being 40-years-old, Dibirov remains in prime form and will hope to progress further in the competition — something with which he is familiar, having taken the trophy twice with Vardar, in 2017 and 2019. 

Read the story on the 1,000 goal club here and keep up with the all-time scorer standings here. 

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20:28

On to the Match of the Week, Zagreb vs Montpellier. 

Zagreb are returning to the play-offs after an absence of two seasons, although the last season where they were set to be part of the play-offs saw all teams progressing due to the Covid-19 situation having such an impact on the group phase. The last time Zagreb qualified for the play-offs in a season that ran normally was in 2018/19. But this is the past and the Zagreb of this season is dramatically different than the one that struggled for wins in the last years, so this looks to be a thrilling play-off battle. 

For Montpellier, this is the 16th time overall in the play-offs and second in a row. Last season, they defeated Porto in this stage before being knocked out by Kielce in the quarter-finals. 

The teams have met eight times in European cup competitions, with Montpellier clearly owning the head-to-head record with five wins to Zagreb's two and one draw. 

20:13 RESULT | GOG VS KIELCE 25:33

In control from almost the first minutes to the last, Kielce leave no doubt and take a great win from GOG that sets them on a promising course for the second leg. Worth noting however, that GOG kept the second half equal, as the score for that period was 15:15.

20:06 54th MINUTE | GOG VS KIELCE 22:30

Kielce make a change between the posts, with Andreas Wolff retiring to the bench on a save rate of 41.18 per cent after 14 balls stopped and Milosz Walach coming into goal. 

20:02 52nd MINUTE | GOG VS KIELCE 20:28

Into the final 10 minutes with Kielce still clear in front but GOG still fighting hard. A timeout is called the Danish side know there is no chance but to keep fighting to reduce the gap as much as possible before the full-time whistle sounds. A full comeback appears tough so late in the game, but there is still enough time for anything to happen. But mainly, it seems for GOG the task is to decrease the gap to give themselves the best chance for the second leg. 

19:52 44th MINUTE | GOG VS KIELCE 17:24

Alex Dujshebaev reaches eight goals for Kielce and Andreas Wolff continues to give GOG's shooters a headache as he saves at 46.43 per cent, with a total of 13 now. 

At GOG's end, Matthias Dorgelo has had a strong entry to the game, making three saves early in the first half. But GOG have not managed to reduce the gap and it is looking very much as though Kielce are on their way to victory here.

19:38 31st MINUTE | GOG VS KIELCE 10:18

Back to action at GOG, with the home team fighting for a big comeback against a powerful Kielce. 

19:29

While we wait for GOG vs Kielce to resume, have a read of our MOTW feature, with Montpellier's Yanis Lenne, below. 

Lenne spoke to eurohandball.com journalist Kevin Domas about missing the first months of the season due to injury, his return to the court, MHB's momentous victory over Barça in Barcelona to end the group phase, and of course the MOTW clash against Zagreb. Check it out below!

19:23 HALF-TIME | GOG VS KIELCE 10:18

Kielce hold a promising lead at the break in the first-leg play-off against GOG — a very promising lead in a single-match scenario, and an almost as promising one considering they must defend whatever result they may take away from Denmark next week. If Kielce keep the advantage this clear, GOG will face a mammouth task in the return leg. 

19:16 26th MINUTE | GOG VS KIELCE 9:17

GOG are forced to call another timeout as the distance on the score board grows. 

Although Kielce keep pulling further away, goalkeeper Andreas Wolff's saves have slowed, with all nine of his so far coming in the first 20 minutes. But that is more reflective of the low number of shots faced as GOG struggle against Kielce's defence. 

Facing a half-time score this clear is dangerous, and in a two-leg play-off situation, GOG will not be able to simply forget a big loss but will be faced with the task of making up for it. The Danish side look for every way to turn the momentum around. Can they pull off such a comeback?  

19:07 19th MINUTE | GOG VS KIELCE 5:10

GOG have recovered from their scoreless period to play on more equal footing, with a 2:3 partial through the minutes since the timeout helped by some saves from Tobias Thulin. But the home team are left with quite a gap to close. 

18:59 12th MINUTE | GOG VS KIELCE 3:7

Timeout GOG as Kielce hit a four-goal lead and almost four minutes without a goal for the home side. 

Kielce goalkeeper Andreas Wolff now has a save rate of 66.67 per cent and has clearly gotten in the heads of the GOG players as they struggle to find the goal past him. 

18:53 8th MINUTE | GOG VS KIELCE 3:4

Right back Alex Dujshebaev and goalkeeper Andreas Wolff have turned up in form, as both play a key role for Kielce early on. Dujshebaev has netted three of Kielce's four goals while Wolff sits on a save rate of 40 per cent for the early minutes. 

On GOG's side, the goals have come from three different players. The top scorer at this point in the season, Emil Madsen, has added one to his overall tally of now 92. 

18:45 1ST MINUTE | GOG VS KIELCE 0:0

The play-offs begin! GOG start in attack and Andreas Wolff saves the first shot taken against Kielce. 

18:34

Time to tune in on EHFTV! Starting whistle for the play-offs is just over 10 minutes away, with GOG vs Kielce getting underway at 18:45 CET. 

18:16

The play-offs begin with a bang as the vice-champions of the last two seasons, Kielce, pay GOG to a visit. 

It has been some time since Kielce contested this stage of the competition, as they took direct quarter-final tickets the past two seasons after ranking as one of the top two teams in their group. Prior to that was the Covid-impacted 2020/21 season, where all teams ended up advancing from the group phase into the play-offs. Kielce faced Nantes in their play-off clash, and lost 56:58 on aggregate. 

For GOG, it is the second straight time in the play-offs. 

On the path to the play-offs, Kielce had a very mixed season, with six wins, four losses and no less than four draws. That put them fourth in group A with 16 points. GOG placed fifith in group B following six wins, one draw and seven defeats. 

This will be the first mutual match between the sides in European cup competitions. 

17:58

Good evening and welcome to day one of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League play-offs! The first legs of the play-offs get underway tonight with two games and conclude on Thursday. 

The full schedule for the play-offs: 

Wednesday

• 18:45 CET GOG vs Kielce
• 20:45 CET MOTW Zagreb vs Montpellier HB

Thursday

• 18:45 CET Szeged vs Veszprém
• 20:45 CET Plock vs PSG

Warm up for tonight's matches with some reading below — the round preview, some facts and figures related to this stage of the competition and a special feature on the exclusive 1,000 goal club.