DAY REVIEW: Barça, PSG and Montpellier win big; buzzer-beater secures draw in MOTW

• PSG dominated the uneven match in Bitola from the start and led 15:9 at half-time.
• Barça’s Danish goalkeeper, Emil Nielsen, delivered an impressive performance on his home ground, saving 46% of all shots in their 30:23 victory against GOG.
• Montpellier secured a decisive victory on Wednesday, defeating Celje 32:21.
• MOTW provided a thrilling contest until the final second – initially, Kiel held a clear lead, but they were fortunate to salvage a draw with a buzzer-beating shot.
• Kielce’s right back, Alex Dujshebaev, was awarded Player of the Match for his outstanding performance, scoring seven goals, matching his teammate Nicolas Tournat and Kiel’s Swedish duo, Eric Johansson and Ekberg.

GROUP A

HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD) vs Paris Saint-Germain HB (FRA) 25:31 (9:15)

PSG not only secured their clearest victory of the season but also their third away win. Their victory was never in jeopardy, as PSG conceded fewer than ten goals in the first half for the first time in the group phase. The six-goal lead provided a comfortable cushion, leading to an easy evening in North Macedonia. Boosted by top scorers Kamil Syprzak (seven goals) and Ferran Sole (six), PSG extended their lead effortlessly after half-time. Syprzak has now amassed 63 goals in this Champions League season. While Eurofarm Pelister still await their first point, PSG stand at 13 points after their sixth win, including a 31:26 victory in the reverse fixture. Twelve players contributed to the PSG's scoresheet, highlighting their strong team performance. Five players from the hosts scored three times each.

MOTW: Industria Kielce (POL) vs THW Kiel (GER) 36:36 (15:17)

What a thriller in Kielce: When Igor Karacic scored to make it 36:35 with only nine seconds remaining, the home fans erupted. However, THW Kiel quickly countered with their final attack, culminating in a successful finish by Niclas Ekberg who beat the buzzer.

After leading 5:4 in the 7th minute, it took Kielce another 47 minutes to reclaim the lead at 31:30. During this period, both teams encountered defensive struggles, resulting in numerous easy goals from one-on-one situations. Szymon Sicko for Kielce, and the Kiel duo of Harald Reinkind and Eric Johansson, exploited gaps to score.

In the last ten minutes, Kiel squandered a three-goal lead, allowing Kielce to capitalise and turn the tide during crunch time. Sicko, along with the Dujshebaev brothers Alex and Dani, orchestrated a 3:0 run to make it 34:32.

However, the game was far from decided as Nikola Bilyk leveled the score once again. In the final minute, Sicko scored his sixth and final goal to give the hosts a 35:34 advantage, only for Niklas Ekberg to convert a penalty and equalise once more. With 26 seconds remaining, Kielce's coach Talant Dujshebaev called his final timeout, but Karacic's strike was not enough for claiming both points. Kiel remain atop the standings with 16 points, maintaining a three-point gap over Kielce.

GROUP B

GOG (DEN) vs Barça (ESP) 23:30 (14:17)

Barça once again proved to be a formidable opponent for GOG. Since 2008, the Danish side has attempted to defeat the Champions League record winners without success, as was the case on Wednesday again. Although the teams were relatively on an equal footing in the first half, GOG never held the lead, with Barça maintaining a three-goal advantage at half-time. However, when newly crowned French EHF EURO champions Dika Mem (five goals) and Melvyn Richardson (six goals) stepped up in the second half, victory for Barça was assured. The crucial factor in the win in Denmark was Barça’s lone Dane: goalkeeper Emil Nielsen, who continued his outstanding form from the EHF EURO and saved a total of 20 shots (46%). The visitors, securing their tenth victory in eleven matches and maintaining their position atop the group, showcased not only a deeper bench and more options but also superior individual skill. Similar to their 30:39 defeat at Palau Blaugrana, GOG, including top scorer Emil Madsen (six goals), were once again outclassed and remain on ten points.

Montpellier HB (FRA) vs RK Celje Pivovarna Laško (SLO) 32:21 (17:12)

For the first 12 minutes, and until the score reached 8:8, Celje kept pace with Montpellier. However, by half-time, the hosts had already taken control of the encounter. Supported by goalkeeper Remi Desbonnet's total of 13 saves and a robust defence that effectively neutralised Celje’s top scorer, Mitja Janc (who managed only four goals), Montpellier surged ahead comfortably. By the 47th minute, when Yanis Lenne scored to make it 28:18, Montpellier had established a double-digit lead for the first time. Ultimately, Montpellier secured a much clearer victory than in their previous meeting at Celje (31:29) and solidified their fourth position with their sixth win, while Celje still await their first point. Valentin Porte emerged as the top scorer of the match with six goals.

Photos: Lau Nielsen (@hsnlau)/GOG, Aleksandar Kotevski/Pelister, #patriciasports/Montpellier, Patryk Ptak/Kielce