Summary: Barça triumph in pulsating MOTW highlights entertaining round

• round 9 of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League group phase
• MOTW: Barça edge out Veszprém 31:30 in a pulsating match
• Wednesday: Plock beat Celje 30:25 again for important points; Aalborg crush Kolstad again in Nordic derby, 29:18; Zagreb boost play-off hopes as they defeat Szeged 30:25; GOG take clear 35:27 win against Porto
• Thursday: Kiel squader big lead but still beat PSG 26:24; Magdeburg take seventh straight win, 28:24 against Montpellier; Kielce down Pelister by double digits, 35:25 
• check out the group standings and watch highlights on the Home of Handball YouTube channel
• follow the official EHF Champions League socials on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook
• Eric Willemsen reported on Thursday evening; all photos courtesy of the home teams

Thursday 30 November

23:15

Here ends our coverage of round 9. Time to catch our breaths again... We have one more round coming up before the competition heads into a 10-week break for the festive period and the Men's EHF EURO 2024. In round 10 next week, the race for the top-two spots will further intensify, as now three teams in both groups look likely to battle it out for those coveted quarter-final berths: Kiel, Aalborg, and Kielce in group A; and Barça, Veszprém, and Magdeburg in group B.

So, make sure to join the live blog again next Wednesday. For now, it's good night and enjoy the best images of the day in our gallery.

23:07

Want to catch up with the best moments of round 9? Head over to our YouTube Home of Handball channel where we have highlight videos of all the games for you, including that spectacular MOTW in Veszprém:

23:01

What a night to round off this week's action in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League. Here is the day review from EHF journalist Björn Pazen:

22:54

So, Magdeburg keep the upwards trend going and going. Having started their title defence with two straight defeats in September, they have won their next seven matches in group B to go level with Veszprém in second place. Coach Bennet Wiegert is obviously pleased with the win over Montpellier and their coaching great Patrice Canayer, who is in his last season with the club after more than two decades in charge:

22:38

This is the image of the day: Barça, standing together as a team with Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas as their outstanding performer, and you can sense the sheer happiness of this group of stars. The record champions have passed a tough test against strong opponents in the fabulous Veszprém Aréna. MOTW at its very best!

22:27

Turning like a whirlwind, Montpellier wing Lucas Pellas:

22:19 RESULT | Kielce vs Pelister 35:25 (18:12)

You can leave it to Kielce coach Talant Dujshebaev to keep his team sharp, even when the opponents are on zero points. Decent match, good win, Haukur Thrastarson with seven goals the best scorer for the hosts; Nejc Cehte also nets seven for Pelister. 

22:16 RESULT | Magdeburg vs Montpellier 28:24 (14:11)

Another win for the defending champions, who have now caught up with second-placed Veszprém in the group B standings after nine rounds. Big man for the hosts was Janus Smarason, who netted eight times - twice as much as any other player on court tonight.

22:06

If you wonder why Haukur Thrastarson is Kielce's top scorer so far tonight, here is one answer:

22:02

Earlier tonight, PSG star Nikola Karabatic returned to the arena of his former club THW Kiel for a last time. Kiel are one of the three clubs he once won the EHF Champions League with. That 2007 triumph is more than 16 years ago, but Karabatic has never been forgotten in northern Germany, as Kiel presented the soon-to-be-retired French legend with a gift ahead of the Kiel vs PSG game:

21:57

Kielce are flying against poor Pelister: the gap is 10 (at 27:17) and could well grow even bigger. Haukur Thrastarson the best scorer so far with seven goals.

21:52

Magdeburg keep going in the second half: 20:16 against Montpellier. Somehow Bennet Wiegert's team found the key in the closing stages of the otherwise very balanced first half; since then, they have this game under control.

21:41

Earlier, Kiel remained leaders in group A with a narrow one-goal win over PSG. One of the decisive players for the hosts was goalkeeper Samir Bellahcene, with 17 saves:

21:29

Great skills by Tim Hornke, who jumps so high... to shoot so low:

21:23 HALF-TIME | Kielce vs Pelister 18:12

No surprises in Kielce. The hosts live up to their billing as clear favourites and lead Pelister by six at the break. All signs that Pelister will not get their first point(s) of the group phase tonight...

21:20 HALF-TIME | Magdeburg vs Montpellier 14:11

Save the best for last: a terrific hip shot from Janus Smarason beats the half-time buzzer as Magdeburg head into the dressing rooms with a three-goal lead over Montpellier. For a long time there was nothing separating the teams, but the defending champions just get their nose in front at the end.

21:16

We saw Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas star for Barça in MOW earlier tonight, but Kielce's Andreas Wolff is showing off some decent skills, too. Meanwhile, Kielce lead Pelister 15:12.

21:14

Two two-time champions are facing each other tonight: Magdeburg (2002, 2023) and Montpellier (2003, 2018). So far, it has been a one-goal game, meaning neither the hosts, nor the visitors have enjoyed a lead of more than one goal.

It is 10:10 at the moment and Brazilian left back Bryan Monte is the leading scorer so far with four goals.

21:03

Tonight's late matches start in pretty contrasting styles: 20 goals already in Poland as Kielce lead Pelister 12:8, but just eight in Germany where Magdeburg and Montpellier are locked at 4:4.

20:48

Meanwhile, action continues on courts elsewhere as Kielce vs Pelister in group A and Magdeburg vs Montpellier in group B are closing round 9.

Remember, EHFTV is your place-to-go to watch the games live (though matches might be geo-blocked in your region because of local broadcaster rights).

20:44

Emil Nielsen started the match, but Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas took over and become Barça's hero this MOTW. A total of 13 saves and almost 42% efficiency make him a well deserved Player of the Match!

20:41

Here are the decisive moments near the end of the MOTW, as Veszprém come up just short against Barça: 31:30. Fantastic entertainment for both teams, and the crowd in the sold-out Veszprém Aréna!

20:39

It takes two to have a great MOTW, and Veszprém certainly added their part. Let's hear from Nedim Remili right after the game, which ended 31:30 for Barça:

20:34

Barça hit back at Veszpém after that home defeat a couple of weeks ago. Let's hear from Melvyn Richardson, with five goals Barça's second-best scorer in the MOTW, after Aleix Gómez with eight:

20:22 RESULT | MOTW Vespzrém vs Barça 30:31 (15:17)

What a match, what a finish! Dika Mem puts Barça one up with 10 seconds left, but Veszprém rush their final opportunity as Mark Sergei Kosorotov has attempt from distance stranded in the Spanish wall of defenders.

20:19

Another Power goal (with capital P) in this MOTW, what a game!

20:15 RESULT | Kiel vs PSG 26:24 (15:10)

It was an up-and-down rollercoaster ride for Kiel, but the group A leaders come out on top against PSG again: 26:24. For PSG, this marks the fourth straight match they do not win; matching their own record from more than 15 years ago...

20:08

The battle. The intensity. The class. All what you expect from a proper MOTW is there tonight in Veszprém. Add excitement as well: we are 28:28 going into the last seven minutes!

20:04

Over in Kiel, PSG have impressively clawed their way back into the match, from 15:10 down at the break they are now all level.

19:54

Crazy scenes in Veszprém as the hosts get into the lead: 24:23, with Nedim Remili netting five in this second half alone! Remember, they were close to dropping four behind just before the break. This MOTW has everything in it.

19:48

Hectic start into the second half of MOTW as Veszprém close the gap to just one, but are denied several times by Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas who is excelling in these opening minutes, including a save on a Hugo Descat penalty.

19:28 HALF-TIME | Kiel vs PSG 15:10

Kiel won the reverse fixture in Paris by six goals, tonight at half-time they are leading by five. Remarkabky, Mathieu Grébille is PSG's top scorer with five goals; he is also the only PSG player who has scored more than once so far.

19:24 HALF-TIME | MOTW Vespzrém vs Barça 15:17

Pulsating stuff in MOTW so far! Barça miss a late chance for a four-goal lead due to a sloppy pass in attack, and Veszprém use the opportunity to force a last-second penalty that is converted by Hugo Descat for 17:15.

Should be an entertaining second half, as Barça hope to 'correct' their home defeat against Veszprém earlier this season, and Veszprém hope to seal their knockout spot.

19:19

Well, that was not what Momir Ilic had in mind with that team timeout just minutes ago: Barça are now gaining control and open the first three-goal lead in this MOTW shortly before the break: 16:13!

19:17

Meanwhile, Kiel stay ahead of PSG: 13:9 with four minutes left in the first half. Three goals from Niclas Ekberg so far.

19:14

First team timeout, for Veszprém. Barça are one ahead but that is really all what is between them. Great battle in the great atmosphere of the Veszprém Aréna.

19:08

Power and precision: brilliant strike by Jonathan Carlsbogard in the MOTW:

19:03

A lot of great stuff already in the MOTW. Like this save by Rodrigo Corrales:

18:54

All in the balance in MOTW after the first seven minutes: Veszprém 5, Barça 5.

But what a start for Kiel in the other match, they lead PSG 5:1 already.

18:40

Let's go! Throw-off in Veszprém and Kiel in five minutes so tune in to EHFTV now! (In case the match you want to watch is geo-blocked for you on EHFTV, then there is a local broadcaster sending or streaming it in your region.)

18:29

Veszprém vs Barça, what a match between two teams with such rich history in the competition. Below is some interesting info for you ahead of the MOTW; you find much more facts and stats in the official EHF media pack for this MOTW (PDF).

18:18

Kiel vs PSG would not be misfitting as an EHF Champions League final. The same goes for the other match starting at 18:45: the MOTW between Veszprém and Barça In fact, this pairing was the final once, in 2015, when the Spanish side triumphed 28:23.

In the build-up to Thursday's match EHF journalist Adrian Costeiu chatted with Veszprém's French new arrival this season, Nedim Remili, for this feature:

18:09

One of the two top clashes we start the evening with is Kiel against PSG. Kiel lead group A with 11 points; Paris are fifth with nine points after they have come off the track a bit in recent weeks. Or, in other words: if PSG do not win tonight, they would match their longest run in the competition of four straight matches without winning, which previously happened in 1996/97. The first confrontation between the two teams this season went to Kiel, who won in Paris: 34:28.

18:00

Six o'clock on Thursday night: welcome to another exciting evening of Machineseeker EHF Champions League handball here on the live blog.

Well, exciting might even be an understatement if you look to the remaining four matches from round 9. From the eight teams in action tonight, no less than seven (=7!) have played an EHF Champions League final! And five them have actually lifted the trophy at least once.

Wednesday 29 November

23:00

Last but not least, if you missed any of tonight's games, go to our YouTube channel where you can find all the highlights. 

The blog will return for tomorrow's action, including MOTW. Don't miss it!

22:50

Let's finish off with quotes from GOG and Porto coaches. GOG move up to fourth in group B for now, ahead of Montpellier's game against Magdeburg tomorrow.

22:40

It was a good day to be a Danish fan, and a good day to be a goalkeeper. With both Niklas Landin and Tobias Thulin on fine form, Aalborg and GOG emerged as the strongest teams of the night - while Zagreb and Plock are celebrating important wins. Read more in the day review!

22:29

After the first set of matches we had the quotes from the press conferences - read what the winning teams had to say about their performances.

22:15 | FULL-TIME

GOG 35:27 FC PORTO

The second half was much better from Porto, who were able to close up a little on GOG during the half - but not to the extent they did in Portugal in round 6. Overall, GOG's quick attacks and solid defence were too good for the visitors, and so was Tobias Thulin, ending the match with a huge 22 saves from 49 shots (44.9 per cent). Hans Aaron Mensing top-scores with eight goals, for good measure.

22:08

It stays a six-goal game, with Tobias Thulin STILL making saves, much to Porto's frustration.

Earlier, this from Ignacio Plaza was excellent!

22:00

Lauritz Legér misses out on making it an eight-goal game once more, and Antonio Areia catches the ball and runs it down the court for Porto's 25th goal. However, GOG still have a handy lead and are managing to keep their noses in front even as Porto maintain the pressure.

21:50

GOG steady the ship a little with a 3:1 run, to make it 25:18. It's a good response from the Danish side to Porto's strong second-half start.

21:45

So far in this half, Porto are answering all the questions asked of them. They've stepped up in attack and defence and have managed to get five shots past Tobias Thulin. It's become a much closer game already.

21:40

What can Porto do against this sort of challenge?

21:24 | HALF-TIME

GOG 20:12 FC PORTO

If GOG keep this up they'll be on for their biggest game of the season; they haven't surpassed 40 goals yet. Porto, faced with an astonishing Tobias Thulin (12 saves out of 24 shots, 50 per cent) just can't find the answers.

Oskar Rasmussen, with six goals, is the top scorer so far.

21:16

Rui Silva is playing a big role for Porto, although he keeps coming up against Thulin - this is lovely.

21:05

Tobias Thulin has been insane so far. 

20:58

An early timeout for Porto, who are struggling to handle GOG's speed in attack and on the counter-attack as well as their defence. The yellow wall is making it easy for Tobias Thulin to stop the Porto goals, and GOG lead 9:2 after only 10 minutes.

20:50

Four minutes into the game and GOG make it 4:1, with goals from Emil Madsen, Oskar Rasmussen, Hans Aaron Mensing and Morten Olsen already.

20:35

Coming up next, GOG vs Porto, throwing off in 10 minutes at 20:45 CET. These two sides always deliver excitement, let's see what they bring tonight!

20:25 | FULL-TIME

RK CELJE PIVOVARNA Laško 25:30 ORLEN WISLA PLOCK

It's the same result as in round 6, a five-goal win for Plock. A few unlucky misses and a red card for Stefan Zabic on his third two-minute suspension made it a bit too tough for Celje, whose chances of reaching the play-offs look ever slimmer. 

Mitja Janc and Tin Lucin both end the game with eight goals. 

20:19 | FULL-TIME

KOLSTAD HANDBALL 18:29 AALBORG Håndbold

Sander Sagosen & Co look pretty unhappy with that performance, as well they should - they were simply unable to cope with a Niklas Landin on form, backed up by a decent showing from the field players. The result puts Aalborg, for now, on top of the group depending on tomorrow's results.

HC PPD ZAGREB 30:25 OTP BANK-PICK SZEGED

Zagreb have more than got their revenge for the one-goal away defeat to Szeged, and although they allowed the visitors to come back a bit in the latter stages of the game, it was a solid showing from the Croatian club. Plenty of aggression and attempts on goal paid off, with six goals for both Zvonimir Srna and Ivan Cupic plus 11 saves (30.6 per cent) for Matej Mandic.

20:12

Still only two goals in it in Celje, where Mitja Janc and Tin Lucin have each scored eight times now. Plock lead 25:23.

20:07

Aalborg and Zagreb seem to have wins wrapped up. Aalborg lead 26:17 and have completely shut Kolstad down. Zagreb are 26:19 up. In both cases, the leading teams' goalkeepers are playing brilliantly.

20:00

Plock lead, but Celje are still fighting for the win they so desperately need. 

19:50

Kolstad continue to struggle as Aalborg pile the pressure on in attack and stand strong in defence. It's 12:20 and the combination of Mads Hoxer and Aleks Vlah are making life incredibly hard for Kolstad - plus, whenever they make a mistake and concede a penalty, Mikkel Hansen's there to score it.

This clip kind of sums the match up.

19:41

And we're back, with Celje vs Plock the last game to get underway again. 

Zagreb have already added two more goals in a sign they are determined to add two points to their tally tonight. 

19:27 | HALF-TIME

KOLSTAD HANDBALL 9:14 AALBORG Håndbold

Kolstad had such a good run in the last couple of weeks, with solid performances against PSG, but it's all falling apart against a superbly well-prepared Aalborg tonight. The hosts have made up a bit of ground in the last few minutes of the half, but Aalborg still have a nice lead into the break.

Niklas Landin is critical here, with seven saves from 16 shots (43.8 per cent) making him the standout player of the match so far.

HC PPD ZAGREB 17:12 OTP BANK-PICK SZEGED

Zagreb took a timeout just before the break after Szeged turned over the ball, and the home team used that timeout well - they scored to give themselves a nice lead at half-time. Lots of players have found the net from both sides, but a more disciplined performance by Zagreb has helped keep them in front. 

RK CELJE PIVOVARNA Laško 13:15 ORLEN WISLA PLOCK

Mitja Janc, for Celje, and Tin Lucin for Plock lead the scoring with five and six goals respectively in a close contest in Slovenia. Both coaches are using every opportunity to speak to their players; after Celje had a timeout at 28 minutes 32 seconds, Plock took one at 29 minutes 28 seconds. Mirko Alilovic is having the better day in goal, but Celje's aggression and attack mean they've had far more chances and are thus keeping things tight.

19:15

The first halves are almost over. Zagreb are flying, and have a 13:9 lead over Szeged; Aalborg likewise look in control with a 12:6 advantage against a struggling Kolstad; Celje and Plock remain close, although Plock have just gone 13:11 up.

19:05

A couple of rounds ago against Paris, Magnus Rød was on absolute fire, scoring 12 goals as the Norwegian side powered their way past PSG. Tonight, he's been one of the better Kolstad players with two goals so far - adding to two for Magnus Gullerud - but it's Aalborg who have taken control and lead 9:4 after 18 minutes. Kolstad's coach Christian Berge calls a timeout in an attempt to sort things out.

18:59

Zagreb had a slow start against Szeged and allowed their visitors to take a three-goal lead, but they've got back into it - helped by a couple of Szeged errors - and now lead 7:6. 

18:55

Celje are yet to win a match this season but they look determined to turn around the five-goal loss from round 6 against Plock - it's 4:3 to the hosts and Rok Zaponšek is having an excellent day so far.

18:48

Not the best start for Kolstad as they concede a penalty and Mikkel Hansen naturally nets it. 

18:40

It's nearly time for throw-off! Remember every match is streamed live on EHFTV, or watch on your local broadcast channel if EHFTV is geo-blocked for you.

18:35

It's been a while since Slovenian centre back Miha Zarabec played for Celje - he left for Kiel in 2017 - but he's back tonight to face his old team as part of the Plock squad.

18:23

More squad line-ups, this time for the game in Zagreb. Both Szeged and Zagreb have had some close matches this season, with two of Szeged's four wins coming by a single goal, and their first two losses by just two and three goals. This is their squad for tonight:

Zagreb have also had a few close games, with two draws to Aalborg and Kielce as well as that loss in Szeged being opportunities they will be regretting. Can they turn things around at home?

18:15

Some 8,000 people are expected in the Trondheim Spektrum this evening for the big Nordic showdown between Kolstad and Aalborg, and here's the home team's line-up:

Here's who Aalborg have brought. Fun fact - Slovenian Aleks Vlah is the only non-Scandinavian on court, with everyone else hailing from Denmark, Iceland, Norway or Sweden.

18:07

So, if you've read the round preview, you know that round 9 is a mirror image of round 6. For today's games, at the end of October, Aalborg beat Kolstad 27:25; Szeged beat Zagreb 27:26; Plock beat Celje 30:25; and Porto beat GOG 32:21. So there's every chance of four more really close games ahead.

17:55

Welcome to the live blog for round 9 of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League - as ever, there's a packed schedule with four matches today and four tomorrow. The highlight will of course be Match of the Week, a sure-fire cracker between Veszprém and Barça, but the first three games today - all throwing off at 18:45 CET - will also certainly be worth a watch.

Let's start the coverage with the round preview.