SUMMARY: PSG and Flensburg complete quarter-finalists
After four absorbing play-off ties, Telekom Veszprém HC, Montpellier HB, SG Flensburg-Handewitt and Paris-Saint Germain Handball booked their places in the quarter-finals of Europe's elite club competition.
The live blog covered the action from the play-off second legs as it unfolded on Wednesday and Thursday.
22:35
In case you needed confirmation of the mouth-watering quarter-final ties that will take place in May, here they are:
Montpellier HB vs Lomza Vive Kielce
SG Flensburg-Handewitt vs Barça
Paris Saint-Germain Handball vs THW Kiel
Telekom Veszprém HC vs Aalborg Håndbold
22:29
For Elverum, tonight's defeat marks the end of their run in this season's EHF Champions League. The Norwegian club's Twitter account says that they will be back stronger than ever – and we are sure that they will be.
Scoring 30 goals in both legs of their play-off tie against PSG should make Elverum's players and supporters proud of their performance.
22:22
The celebrations are underway in Paris tonight. The PSG players are continuing to applaud their fans.
22:18
FULL-TIME: Paris-Saint Germain Handball 37:30 Elverum Handball
Despite Stig-Tore Moen Nilsen's fine performance for Elverum, PSG are safely through to the quarter-finals of the EHF Champions League after earning a seven-goal aggregate victory.
22:11
As the clock winds down and PSG head towards the quarter-finals, 19-year-old goalkeeper Leo Villain has been brought on for the closing minutes.
22:08
Facing Kristopans, Kounkoud and Syprzak has not been easy for Emil Imsgard this evening, but the Norwegian goalkeeper stopped none other than Nikola Karabatic in the 44th minute.
22:04
After 53 minutes, PSG's shooting percentage is still at 80 per cent. 35 goals from 44 shots indicates how impressive their attack has been tonight.
21:56
In-flight action from Elverum? Yes, please! PSG have a six-goal lead, 30:24, after 47 minutes, but Kasper Lien might have scored the goal of the second half.
21:46
Former PSG and Elverum right wing Luc Abalo is in attendance at tonight's game in Paris.
21:34
The timeline of goals in the first half shows how PSG sustained their effort throughout the 30 minutes. For Elverum, goalkeeper Emil Kheri Imsgard only saved two shots from 22 faced.
21:30
Elverum right back Stig-Tore Moen Nilsen has matched Dainis Kristopans, his PSG counterpart, for goals scored in the first half.
21:27
HALF-TIME UPDATE: Paris Saint-Germain Handball 20:14 Elverum Handball
PSG have a six-goal advantage at the break in their second leg against Elverum. With Dainis Kristopans and Kamil Syprzak scoring nine goals between them in the first half, it has been a good 30 minutes for players taller than 200cm.
21:20
PSG look as though they are enjoying themselves on the court. Benoit Kounkoud certainly looked happy after racing away to score a fast break goal that gave PSG their first six-goal lead (19:13) of the match as half-time approaches.
21:10
With his team trailing by five goals, Elverum coach Borge Lund calls the first timeout of the match.
21:05
There was nothing simple about this finish from Kamil Syprzak, though!
21:03
Two consecutive fast break goals gave PSG their first three-goal lead of the match, 7:4, and they now lead 10:6 after a long-range strike from Dainis Kristopans and a simpler finish from Kamil Syprzak. Elverum have sought to take advantage of any fast throw-off opportunities that arise, but the French side are in control after the first quarter.
20:45
Here are the line-ups from EHFTV for our second match of the evening. Will Elverum be able to repeat their heroics from the first leg in Norway? We're about to find out!
20:40
With Match of the Week finished, our focus now shifts to the second leg between Paris Saint-Germain and Elverum.
It was an amazing experience to play in this fantastic arena. We felt the push from the fans. Luckily, we started the game in a good way and we could keep our heads calm. Both teams produced a great performance on the court in attack, and we came out good from it.
20:31
When Szeged applied some scoreboard pressure in the second half, Flensburg held their nerve and continued to find the back of the net in a high-scoring encounter.
20:27
FULL-TIME: Pick Szeged 36:35 SG Flensburg Handewitt
Szeged earn a one-goal win in the second leg against Flensburg, but the German side have progressed to the quarter-finals with a three-goal win on aggregate.
Jim Gottfridsson has received the award as Player of Match of the Week and Hampus Wanne, his Swedish teammate, finished as Flensburg's top scorer this evening.
20:14
"If Hampus Wanne scores here, this contest could be over," said Chris O'Reilly in commentary on EHFTV. Wanne duly scored from the seven-metre line and Flensburg are extremely close to reaching the quarter-finals – despite trailing 33:32 in the second leg.
20:09
Jim Gottfridsson continues to drive Flensburg forward in attack. The Swedish centre back had a pass intercepted a few minutes ago, but he is crucial part of everything that Flensburg do.
20:00
Flensburg's nerves might be increasing – at least slightly. Szeged have opened up a two-goal gap on four occasions in the last five minutes. The Hungarian side lead 29:27 with approximately 13 minutes remaining as they chase a five-goal win.
19:49
With 35 minutes played, Szeged had not received a penalty. Hampus Wanne had scored three from four attempts from the seven-metre line, but Bogdan Radivojevic has just stepped on court to score two penalties for Szeged in two minutes. Flensburg lead 24:23 in the second leg after 40 minutes.
19:41
Sebastian Frimmel makes a flying start to the second half from the left wing and then follows up with an empty net goal after making a steal... and Szeged are in front in the second leg!
19:35
After facing six shots, Roland Mikler's save percentage was 50 per cent. He finished the first half with a save percentage of 38 per cent, but his introduction has ensured that Szeged's deficit is only one goal at the break in the second leg.
19:28
HALF-TIME UPDATE: Pick Szeged 17:18 SG Flensburg-Handewitt
Despite Mario Sostaric giving Szeged their first lead of the match, 16:15, in the 27th minute, Flensburg have a one-goal advantage at the break in the second leg.
With Jim Gottfridsson controlling the tempo of the game in attack for Flensburg, Szeged have a huge struggle ahead if they are to win by the five goals that they will almost certainly require to progress.
19:20
Here is the counter attack goal that saw Szeged draw level at 10:10 after a 3:0 run.
19:14
While Alilovic didn't have a tremendous time in his 20 minutes on court for Szeged, Benjamin Buric has made a fine start to MOTW for Flensburg.
19:11
Roland Mikler has replaced Mirko Alilovic in the Szeged goal after the timeout. As Chris O'Reilly observed in commentary on EHFTV, it would be hard to blame Alilovic for Szeged's defensive struggles in the opening 20 minutes.
19:08
Szeged drew level at 10:10 for the first time since Hampus Wanne opened the scoring for Flensburg in the first minute, but the German side have restored a two-goal advantage (11:13) as Juan Carlos Pastor calls a timeout for the hosts.
18:59
What did we say about Flensburg looking to defend their four-goal lead in the second leg? So far, and it is still early days, the German side have extended their advantage to seven goals after 12 minutes with a 8:5 lead.
Although Flensburg are not necessarily forcing the pace against their Hungarian opponents, they are certainly in control of the game at the moment.
18:44
Pre-match introductions of the players have taken place and we are about to get underway in the Match of the Week in Szeged.
18:25
Szeged shared their squad for this evening's match on Twitter at 16:45 CEST. The line-ups for both teams can be found on the match page on eurohandball.com here.
18:10
"Our boys are here" is the English translation of this Flensburg tweet. Flensburg have arrived at the arena in Szeged as they prepare to defend their four-goal advantage from the first leg.
18:00
Ahead of the Match of the Week between Szeged and Flensburg, the EHF Champions League Twitter account has shone the spotlight on the left wing position for both teams.
Hampus Wanne was Flensburg's top scorer in the first leg, but Sebastian Frimmel only scored once for Szeged. Will Frimmel come to life for Szeged in the second leg in Hungary this evening? The throw-off is just 45 minutes away!
16:53
Four teams aiming to progress to the quarter-finals tonight — the last obstacle before the final weekend in Cologne. And who awaits in the next stage?
With their quarter-final qualifications, Veszprém booked a date with 2020/21 finalists Aalborg while Montpellier will face Kielce.
The winner of the MOTW between Flensburg and Szeged will take on defending title holders Barça in the next stage. THW Kiel will be the last to learn their quarter-final opponents, as they will meet the winner of the Elverum vs PSG tie.
16:30
After the MOTW gets the action underway tonight, the last quarter-final place will be decided between PSG and Elverum. The second leg begins with both teams level, after the reverse fixture ended in a 30:30 draw.
In the first leg, PSG had a lead of four goals before Elverum pulled the French side back to a level game. In that opening leg, PSG line player Kamil Syprzak led his team with 12 goals.
And what about the home advantage tonight? Elverum certainly capitalised on playing in their own arena in the first leg and PSG can be expected to do the same. The French team lost one home match so far this Champions League season, against Veszprém. Elverum had two away victories in the seven away matches in the group phase.
15:50
As throw-off time inches closer, it's time to have your say in predicting who will be the last two teams to join the quarter-final lineup. Share your opinion in the poll below!
15:29
Let's take a look at some key facts surrounding the MOTW.
Flensburg have the upper hand in this aggregate tie, after their 25:21 win in the first leg, which represented their second-lowest number of goals conceded in any game this season.
In tonight's MOTW, the fact Szeged play at home could end up being key. The Hungarian team have only lost on their own court once in 2021/22 — 30:34 in the group phase against Elverum.
But on the other hand, in the last 10 seasons, every time the German side won the home game in a knockout round, they progressed to the next phase.
We have to play our game and force them to do what we want to do. If we start to run like them, we may not reach the quarter-finals. Secondly, we have to prevent Johannes Golla, pivot of Flensburg, from getting so many balls. Even after the loss, the morale is great and from that, we can build our confidence.
This reminds me of the team that won the Champions League, with a good defence, a good goalkeeper, good spirit. It was a very, very good Montpellier. I am proud of the team. If we play like this, we can do a lot of good things.
22:17 RESULT | MONTPELLIER vs PORTO 35:27 (19:11)
Damage done in the first half, Montpellier cruise to a spot among the last eight teams of the EHF Champions League! After the tight draw last week in Porto, this result is not what everybody has seen coming, but even more so: what a great performance from the 2003 and 2018 champions!
22:05
32:22, that's it: the margin is 10 (ten!) goals with six minutes left. Montpellier are not going to give this away anymore. Tough to swallow for Porto, who had every chance after keeping their opponents to a draw last week. But tonight, they lost the way after 10 minutes and have never really recovered.
Again, no first-time quarter-final berth for Porto this season, who, of course, are always a joy to watch!
22:02
Probably too little, too late, but great effort from Diogo Branquinho:
21:57
Hot hip shot from Valentin Porte:
21:53
Team timeout Porto. "This is our last chance," Magnus Andersson tells his players and switches to 7-against-6 tactics.
Seven goals down, 16 minutes on the clock. Possible?
21:47
Porto have shaved two goals of their deficit, which is now -6 (23:17). Daymaro Salina with his fifth of the match.
21:33
Eight goals behind means a mountain to climb.
Eight goals behind with only one half left means...
... well, impossible is nothing, but Porto will need to close their defence before even spending a thought about making up the difference. Montpellier look very determined, and it would certainly need some kind of collapse from the home side as well if Porto are to stage a comeback from here.
21:27
Textbook fast break from Montpellier:
21:23 HALF-TIME | MONTPELLIER vs PORTO 19:11
19:11, c'est incroyable! Montpellier build an eight-goal lead over Porto as almost every French shot finds the net, with an efficiency rate of 86%. Hugo Descat with six the leading scorer.
Is there a way back for Porto into this match?
21:12
Wow, make that 14:7 (!) What has happened to Porto? Head coach Magnus Andersson takes two timeouts shortly after each other but it seems like the Portuguese side still have lost the plot here as Montpellier enjoy a 5:0 run.
21:08
Well, that is something of a lead: 11:7 to Montpellier after 18 minutes. Porto must be wary not to let the gap get too big.
20:59
How you want to start any match, being the goalkeeper:
20:57
The first 10 minutes are similar to last week's game in Porto. Both teams on the same level, though Karl Wallinius has just given Montpellier a one-goal lead.
20:41
Last week, Porto’s Danish goalkeeper Sebastian Frandsen secured that 29:29 draw by saving a last-second penalty from Montpellier’s Hugo Descat. It kept a series for the 2003 and 2018 champions going: Montpellier have not any of their last six EHF Champions League matches, which included three draws and three defeats.
Porto, on the other hand, could earn the first quarter-final berth of the club's EHF Champions League history.
Whoever makes it through, their next opponents will be... Lomza Vive Kielce!
20:36
So, Veszprém the first team through from the play-offs, who will be next: Montpellier or Porto?
Last week in Portugal, nothing separated the two teams and the first leg ended 29:29, so they are starting from zero again tonight at 20:45 CEST.
We didn't play a good game. We had a tough schedule the last of couple of weeks. But it is positive that we go through. We have some time to rest ... and to go step-by-step for the rest of the season.
20:13 RESULT | VESZPRÉM vs VARDAR 31:31 (18:13)
Some Veszprém players are visibly annoyed at the end as the hosts are held to a draw by Vardar. Of course, the Hungarian side easily go through to the quarter-finals after their 30:22 win from the first leg.
Veszprém will take on Aalborg for a place at the EHF FINAL4 2022 in June.
20:07
You really got to admire the spirit of Vardar, who know they won't make it to the next round but still keep going for the best possible result. Meanwhile, they are level with Veszprém at 29 all.
19:56
And finding a goalkeeper like Vladimir Cupara against them, doesn't help Vardar either:
19:49
So, it looks like we are witnessing the last half of Vardar in this EHF Champions League season. And what a season it has been for the two-time champions:
- a dream start with five points from their first three matches, including a win over Aalborg (which would have been their opponents again in the quarter-final...);
- followed by a nightmare run of seven straight losses;
- before ending the group phase on a high again, with wins over Montpellier, Zagreb, and Elverum.
Anyway, it was great to have Vardar in the business end of the competition again!
19:20 HALF-TIME | VESZPRÉM vs VARDAR 18:13
A five-goal lead tonight makes it a 13-goal lead overall: the surprise hardly anyone expected for tonight is indeed not happening. Veszprém just too good to give Vardar even a glimmer of hope. Andreas Nilsson and Kentin Mahe the best scorers so far, with three goals each.
19:13
If it goes on like this, Veszprém are flying into the quarter-finals:
19:04
Some stunning goals already tonight, like this one from Yahia Omar:
19:02
Just like last week, Vardar are keeping up pretty well with Veszprém in the opening stages of the match. The hosts just one goal up (but nine on aggregate...) after the first quarter.
18:40
"We need to be focused because even though our eight-goal lead may seem a lot, but in handball anything can happen."
That is the warning from goalkeeper Rodrigo Corrales on the Veszprém Twitter account ahead of the return game against Vardar.
Let's find out what really happens soon... throw-off in five minutes live on EHFTV.
18:19
Veszprém vs Vardar is a repeat of last year's play-offs - and back then the Hungarian side easily advanced with two clear wins: 41:27, 39:30. Can Vardar avoid a similar fate this time?
Anyway, the aggregate winners of this pairing will meet last season's finalists Aalborg Håndbold in the quarter-finals!
Speaking about quarter-finals: Verszprém have reached (at least) the quarter-finals in 19 of their 26 previous EHF Champions League seasons. Are we going to see their 20th appearance tonight?
17:55
Only 50 minutes left until throw-off in Veszprém. There was a lot of talk about this pairing before the first leg, with Vardar coach David Davis taking on his former club. However, after the eight-goal away win, few will have doubts about Veszprém advancing to the quarter-finals tonight...
... however, Veszprém coach Momir Ilic isn't taking anything for granted:
16:29
That leaves Montpellier vs Porto as the standout fixture this evening. Although the French side appear as favourites on paper, the 2018 champions have been far from perfect at home this season and they face a Porto side who have big away performances in their toolbox - see their draws against Veszprém and Flensburg towards the end of the group phase.
The first leg was a real treat to watch and the highlights below will get you well and truly in the mood for tonight's action.
16:00
Veszprém vs Vardar is the only somewhat lopsided scoreline after the first leg. The Skopje side came out strong last week but soon faded and fell to a 30:22 loss.
With that eight-goal lead and home advantage, this is Veszprém's to lose and it is the first match up at 18:45 CEST today.
15:56
Three of the four ties are really hanging in the balance at the halfway mark:
> Montpellier and Porto are level - 29:29 in the first leg
> Paris Saint-Germain and Elverum are level - 30:30 in the first leg
> Szeged trail Flensburg by four goals - 25:21 to the German side in the first leg
15:50
Hello everyone and welcome to a fresh live blog for this week's EHF Champions League fun!
Once again, we are being treated to four play-off matches, all at different times over the next two days, so you will not miss a beat. Here is the plan:
