Flensburg, Benidorm and Sporting win big to edge closer to group phase

12 places in the group phase of the EHF European League Men are up for grabs in the qualification phase 2 and only four sides – SG Flensburg-Handewitt, Sporting CP, TM Benidorm and KS Azoty Pulawy SA – secured wins by six goals or more in the first legs, underlining once again the balance between the teams in the second tier European competition.

• in the Germany derby - the only game featuring two previous winners of the second tier European competition - Frisch Auf Göppingen took a 28:24 win against TBV Lemgo Lippe, with a huge second half performace, after a 12:12 tie at the break
• facing former Machineseeker EHF Champions League winners, Bidasoa Irun, Kolstad Handball evened out the game in the second half, but only managed to limit the damage, taking a 27:30 loss before the second leg, as the Norwegian team aims to qualify for the group phase of a European competition for the first time
• SG Flensburg-Handewitt was the team that scored the largest number of goals of the evening, 39, the best attacking performance for the German side in all competitions since scoring 41 goals against Minden in the German Bundesliga in March 2017
• Croatian outfit RK Nexe, who made the EHF Finals Men last season, suffered a big loss against KS Azoty-Pulawy SA, 26:32; the same margin they lost by at this stage last season against Bjerringbro-Silkeborg, before mounting a huge comeback in the second leg
• Portuguese side Aguas Santas Milaneza are in great form, having beaten FC Porto in the domestic league and now taking a huge step towards their first-ever group phase of a European competition, with a 23:20 win against fellow Portuguese side Belenenses
• Six players scored at least 10 goals this evening, with the best individual performance being signed by Bjerringbro-Silkeborg’s right back, Jonatan Ingemann Mollerup, who scored 11 goals against IFK Kristianstad

Balanced games and high-profile wins in the first leg of the qualification round 2

The two breakout stars of the M20 EHF EURO 2022 in Portugal, the Costa brothers, Francisco and Martim, shined once again, this time in the EHF European League qualification round 2, as they helped Sporting CP take a strong nine-goal win against Danish side Bjerringbro-Silkeborg. The Costa brothers were their team’s top scorers, combining for nine goals, in the 31:22 win that surely enhances Sporting’s chances of progression.

Elsewhere, Aguas Santas Milaneza made it two out of three for Portugal, while SG Flensburg-Handewitt and Frisch auf Goppingen also sealed wins for German sides.

Both Hungarian teams, FTC and Fejer B.A.L.-Veszprem, conceded away losses in the first leg, lowering their chances of qualification. Meanwhile, in a tough battle, Montpellier sealed a draw against IK Sävehof, after the French team slowed down Sävehof’s attack which had scored 79 goals in two legs against Potaissa Turda in the qualification round 1.

It was also an evening of two wins in two matches for Spanish teams, with TM Benidorm taking a strong 34:24 win against GC Amicitia Zurich, while Bidasoa Irun edged the ambitious Kolstad Handball, 30:27, with the second leg in Norway still well in the balance

EHF EUROPEAN LEAGUE MEN 2022/23 QUALIFICATION ROUND 2, LEG 1

IK Sävehof (SWE) vs Montpellier HB (FRA) 24:24 (9:11)
CSA Steaua Bucuresti (ROU) vs FTC (HUN) 33:31 (17:14)
IFK Kristianstad (SWE) vs Skanderborg-Aarhus (DEN) 31:32 (15:18)
Frisch Auf Göppingen (GER) vs TBV Lemgo Lippe (GER) 28:24 (12:12)
Alpla HC Hard (AUT) vs HC Butel Skopje (MKD) 26:21 (11:8)
KS Azoty-Pulawy SA (POL) vs RK Nexe (CRO) 32:26 (16:12)
MMTS Kwidzyn (POL) vs SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) 25:39 (12:21)
Chambery Savoie Mont Blanc Handball (FRA) vs Fejer B.A.L.-Veszprem (HUN) 29:25 (15:12)
Belenenses (POR) vs Aguas Santas Milaneza (POR) 20:23 (10:15)
TM Benidorm (ESP) vs GC Amicitia Zurich (SUI) 34:24 (18:13)
Sporting CP (POR) vs Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN) 31:22 (10:8)
Bidasoa Irun (ESP) vs Kolstad Handball (NOR) 30:27 (16:13)