Big comeback win for Melsungen as quarter-final line-up is completed

Defending title holders Flensburg drew 33:33 with SAH - Aarhus in the second leg, but a 38:32 win away in the first was enough to secure the German team a 71:65 victory on aggregate.

Elverum Håndball beat Montpellier 35:31, but a devastating 12-goal loss in the first leg, 36:24, meant the win was far from enough to overcome the deficit. Montpellier cruised back to the EHF European League quarter-finals with an aggregate win of 67:59.

In the other two cases, including the highlight match of the week, the second leg was the key. 2024/25 semi-finalists MT Melsungen were fighting a clear deficit against Fredericia Håndboldklub — one they overcame with a 35:26 victory that meant a 64:61 result in their favour on aggregate.

RK Nexe and IFK Kristianstad had played the closest match of the first leg: 36:34 for Nexe. The second leg saw the Croatian side take a 32:27 win for a 68:61 result on aggregate.

THW Kiel, FC Porto, HC Vardar 1961 and Recken - TSV Hannover-Burgdorf qualified directly for the quarter-finals as group winners in the main round.

Quarter-finals (28 April / 5 May):

• RK Nexe vs THW Kiel
• MT Melsungen vs FC Porto
• Montpellier Handball vs HC Vardar 1961
• SG Flensburg-Handewitt vs Recken - TSV Hannover-Burgdorf

HIGHLIGHT MATCH

PLAY-OFFS, SECOND LEG

MT Melsungen (GER) vs Fredericia Håndboldklub (DEN) 35:26 (17:12)

First leg result: 29:35; Melsungen win 64:61 on aggregate

Melsungen needed a victory of at least seven to turn the tie in their favour. In the first leg, Fredericia shocked the German side with their pace and led through the match. In the second, Melsungen were effective in containing their opponents, took the advantage immediately and clinched a win that was more than enough to reach the quarter-finals. Melsungen’s back court and line player Rubén Marchán drove the offensive game, with a wide spread of goals in the first half and only three of their 17 in that period coming from the wing. In defence, Melsungen cut what had been a dangerous connection with the line players in the first game.

Melsungen always had the lead but Fredericia made it a close game until the last minutes of the first half. Melsungen increased the gap to four for the first time, 12:8, in the 26th, then snatched a five-goal advantage right before the break. 10 minutes into the second period, goalkeeper Nebojsa Simić (12 saves overall) stopped a penalty and opened the door for Melsungen to create the seven-goal gap — at that point 23:17 — they needed to take the aggregate win. And from there, the distance only grew.

IN OTHER MATCHES

PLAY-OFFS, SECOND LEG

SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) vs SAH - Aarhus (DEN) 33:33 (16:13)
First leg result: 38:32; Flensburg win 71:65 on aggregate 

Elverum Håndball (NOR) vs Montpellier Handball (FRA) 35:31 (18:19)
First leg result: 24:36; Montpellier win 67:59 on aggregate

RK Nexe (CRO) vs IFK Kristianstad (SWE) 32:27 (14:15)
First leg result: 36:34; Nexe win 68:61 on aggregate

photos © Alina Käsler (main and in-text)