Second part of the group phase begins with high-octane duels
After seven rounds of exciting games and crazy last-second wins, the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2025/26 group phase enters its second part this week, as round 8 takes place on Wednesday and Thursday.
I was satisfied with the away game, but that is already in the past. Together with the team, we are focused only on Wednesday. I would like the players to take another step forward, both in defence and attack. We always need to improve, develop and play better.
It will be another tough away match, but we will do everything we can to hit back after the match in Kolstad Arena against One Veszprém HC last week.
It is always interesting when you meet the same team two weeks in a row. Kielce really made it hard for us last week, playing really well especially in defence. Luckily, we kept on fighting and I will be remembering the very last equalising goal for some time. That one point can be really important for us later on, but it also gives us confidence that we can win the home game.
We’re aware that we played a good match (at home vs Aalborg) it’s just a pity we didn’t manage to take all the points. When we perform well, it always gives us a boost. This match will be harder than the one in Kielce, but we want to fight in it as well. We were prepared for Aalborg’s fast play, we made few mistakes, and that’s important in a match played at such a pace. On Wednesday, that will again be the key.
There are some details that we can improve if we make an analysis of our first game against them, they are some details that we can improve and we are working on that to do a better game at home and again we will fight. At home, with the supporters with us, everything is possible.
We are in a very nice position in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League, but that means nothing for Thursday. It is a question of staying in the rhythm. We are trying to improve in every aspect. Sporting played explosively at home, and every mistake will be punished. Our biggest key to success last week in Lisbon was stability over 60 minutes. We also need a defence that has the Costa brothers even better under control, so that we don't have to score 38 goals again.
We had so much fun last week. It was an amazing handball match. We started really well and we ended up losing by one goal. The best compliment I have for my players is to see the respect of the opponents. Now, in Berlin, it is going to be another fight, and we have to forget what happened last week.
We've got high hopes, and truly believe we have what it takes to win a game in the Champions League. We weren't lucky so far, however I feel like even last week we showed we can play against Magdeburg despite that we in the end failed to take points back home. Not much we can do at this point, except work hard, and believe we've got everything we need to secure points. Our time will come.
Last week, we did struggle a bit at some point — and it won't be any easier playing away. But our goal remains the same: we have no intention of slacking. We want to keep investing and keep delivering. We want to stay unbeaten.
Barcelona are one of the best teams in Europe, and facing them is always a big moment. We know the level of intensity and precision it takes to compete with them, but we’ve been building confidence over the past few weeks with three strong wins away from home. It feels great to be back at Coubertin, where our supporters always give us incredible energy. We want to show our best handball and keep pushing forward together.
Every Champions League match has its own story and we have to be ready for all the situations that PSG can try to execute. We’ll have to play at our best to be able to get the win. PSG got an important win last week against GOG, and we play on their court. These two points are very important for them and for us.
We are facing a strong opponent in Wisla Plock — a team we expected to be battling with for qualification from the very beginning. It is a crucial match, and our speed and direct play will be key. Plock are known for their physical defence, especially at home, so it is important that we make the game our own. With the help of our fans, we hope to create a tough atmosphere and make it an uncomfortable night for them once again.
We have a very important match ahead of us and we want to make up for last week’s defeat. This is our chance to get revenge against Pelister. It won’t be easy, because we’re facing an opponent with a very tough defence. We experienced in Bitola that we had to fight hard for every single goal. If we can be more precise in attack, we can win this match.
It is always nice when you win matches in the Champions League — only the top teams from the continent can do that. We are satisfied with the win in Bitola, but at the same time we are cautious before the return match. It will be harder than the first match, that's for sure. It's good that we are slowly coming back after all those serious injuries at the start of the season. The team is almost complete and we will be able to have a wider rotation. We have a lot of room for even stronger progress. I think the picture of the team is complete and I expect us to play better with each passing match.
