Bjerringbro-Silkeborg and GOG complete Danish double

After Ystads IF and RK Celje Pivovarna Laško beat Bjerringbro-Silkeborg and GOG in the first leg of their respective EHF European League Men qualification round 1 ties, both Danish teams needed big performances on Saturday in their second leg encounters.

Playing at home in Gudme, GOG swept aside Celje's four-goal advantage from the first leg as Mathias Gidsel's outstanding 13-goal display led the Danish side to a 36:25 victory. Bjerringbro-Silkeborg also advanced to the second round after overturning Ystads' narrow advantage from the first leg.

In perhaps the pick of Saturday's other matches, Kadetten Schaffhausen used home advantage to full effect as they eliminated Vojvodina.

EHF EUROPEAN LEAGUE MEN – QUALIFICATION ROUND 1

Ystads IF (SWE) vs Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN) 25:27 (11:14)

• Bjerringbro-Silkeborg began the match with a 5:0 run and remained ahead during the first half
• while Ystads fought back from a poor start to lead 19:18 after 40 minutes, the Danish side held their nerve in the closing stages
• five players scored four goals each for Ystads, but Nikolaj Øris' seven goals for Bjerringbro-Silkeborg saw him finish as the top scorer 
• Bjerringbro-Silkeborg overturned a one-goal deficit from the first leg to advance 49:48 on aggregate

GOG (DEN) vs RK Celje Pivovarna Laško (SLO) 36:25 (18:14)

• Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games MVP Mathias Gidsel scored eight times in the first half for GOG, who were level on aggregate after 30 minutes played
• when Morten Toft Olsen converted a penalty in the 47th minute, GOG's lead in the second leg stood at 10 goals (30:20)
• Mathias Gidsel (13 goals) and Simon Pytlick (seven goals) drove GOG's efficient attack. No Celje player scored more than four times in Gudme
• GOG's dominant 11-goal win ensured that they progressed 65:58 on aggregate  

Fraikin BM. Granollers (ESP) vs HC Prolet 62 (MKD) 27:29 (14:12)

• despite losing the second leg by two goals, Granollers safely qualified for the next round courtesy of a 63:50 aggregate win
• after their big win in the first leg, Granollers appeared on course for another victory when Edgar Perez extended their advantage to 13:8 in the 25th minute
• however, Prolet 62 turned the match around through a spirited fight back and moved five goals clear in the 50th minute 
• Mihail Alarov (seven goals) was the top scorer for Prolet 62, while Jose Marquez netted six times for Granollers 

SL Benfica (POR) vs HC Krienz-Luzern (SUI) 29:18 (14:8)

• Benfica followed their 31:24 triumph in the first leg with another comfortable victory at home on Saturday
• Benfica right wing Ole Rahmel, who scored seven goals in the first leg, received a red card after eight minutes
• HC Krienz-Luzern could not take advantage of Rahmel’s absence as they only scored twice in the final 15 minutes of the first half
• goalkeeper Gustavo Capdeville was instrumental in Benfica's victory, making 15 saves from 29 shots faced

Valur Iceland (ISL) vs RK Porec (CRO) 22:21 (7:12)

• with four early goals from Tomislav Bosnjak, Porec created a five-goal lead (11:6) in the 18th minute
• Valur steadily reduced the deficit and trailed by only one goal in the 38th minute
• Valur top scorer Magnús Óli Magnússon (eight goals) levelled the score at 20:20 in the 58th minute and scored the match-winning goal in the final seconds 
• having won the first leg by four goals, Valur beat Porec 44:39 on aggregate

Fenix Toulouse Handball (FRA) vs ALPLA HC Hard (AUT) 39:32 (18:15)

• a smooth seven-goal win for Fenix Toulouse in a high-scoring match gave them an 11-goal victory on aggregate (66:55)
• Fenix Toulouse's balanced attack saw 12 different players register on the scoresheet, but ALPLA Hard's Ivan Horvat (eight goals) finished as the highest scorer from either side
• Fenix Toulouse's biggest lead in the second leg was 11 goals (31:20) in the 46th minute
• the French side's shot efficiency was above 70 per cent in both halves

MRK Sesvete (CRO) vs KS Azoty-Pulawy SA (POL) 25:37 (11:20)

• Azoty-Pulawy completed a comprehensive 20-goal victory on aggregate (66:46) over MRK Sesvete
• Ukrainian right wing Andrii Akimenko shone for the Polish side, scoring eight goals from nine shots, as they dominated in the second leg
• Azoty-Pulawy recorded a shot efficiency above 80 per cent, while Sesvete's was below 55 per cent
• despite the final result, 11 different players scored for Sesvete

BM Logroño La Rioja (ESP) vs Aguas Santas Milaneza (POR) 34:28 (17:14)

• La Rioja trailed by two goals 7:5 after 13 minutes, but Eduardo Cadarso and David Cadarso's contributions in attack towards the end of the first half gave them a three-goal cushion at half-time
• while the match remained competitive midway through the second half, La Roija extended their advantage to six goals (28:22) in the 52nd minute
• Francisco Fontes scored six times for the Portuguese side to finish as the top scorer in the match 
• after a 26:26 draw in the first leg, La Roija won the tie 60:54 on aggregate

Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI) vs Vojvodina (SRB) 34:23 (17:9)

• Kadetten Schaffhausen avenged their six-goal loss in the first leg with a commanding 11-goal win
• Kadetten Schaffhausen's impressive performance in the first half, which included three 4:0 runs, ensured that they were already ahead in the tie at half-time
• Samuel Zehnder, who scored four penalties from four attempts, netted seven times for the Swiss side 
• new signing Joan Cañellas was one of three Kadetten Schaffhausen players who scored five goals. Vojvodina's Gregor Ocvirk also scored five times