Dethroned champions Flensburg secure third place

3/4 PLACEMENT MATCH

Montpellier Handball (FRA) vs SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) 30:32 (16:16)

H2H: 4-3-9
Top scorers: Zvonimir Srna (Montpellier Handball) 6/10, Simon Pytlick 7/11, Emil Jakobsen 7/8 (both SG Flensburg-Handewitt)

• the early red card for Niclas Kirkeløkke after a foul against Valentin Porte in minute six did not shock the dethroned champions
• boosted by Simon Pytlick’s hammer shots and Emil Jakobsen’s fastbreak strikes, who combined for nine goals, Flensburg pulled ahead to 15:11, profiting from Montpellier’s turnovers
• but the French side struck back with a 4:0 run in the last four minutes of the first half to level the score, as Flensburg had lost their pace completely
• running obviously out of steam, both sides reduced the speed after the break and focused on long position attacks
• Flensburg mostly were ahead, but without their easy goals, they could not pull ahead significantly, as mainly the Brazilian duo Rogerio Moraes and Bryan Monte netted for Montpellier
• it took until minute 55, when Kent Robin Tønnesen sent Flensburg on the winners’ way netting for the 30:27, followed by the 31:27, Pytlick’s seventh strike – the final decision

Both sides eye EHF Champions League start next season

The duel of two disappointed and mentally exhausted teams was anything but boring despite the low speed in the second half. Both sides were eager to make their fans in Barclays Arena happy with a win. In the beginning, Montpellier caused too many mistakes, but then managed to catch up and stop Flensburg’s fast pace. In the end, the former titleholders caused less mistakes in crunch time and took a deserved win. It was their fifth victory in six matches at the EHF Finals in Hamburg since 2024.

Both sides still hope for a spot in the EHF Champions League with an upgrade from European League. Both sides currently rank third in their domestic leagues, and have two matches still remaining. Paris Saint-Germain Handball are confirmed as the champions of the Starligue, as are SC Magdeburg in the Bundesliga. In contrast to Flensburg, Montpellier have won a trophy this season — even two, as they won the domestic Supercup in August and the French cup a week ago.

all photos © 2026 kolektiff