The return leg promises to be a handball spectacle, with the inspired hosts set to welcome Valur at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus, which holds a capacity of around 12,000.
FINAL, SECOND LEG
Olympiacos SFP (GRE) vs Valur (ISL)
Saturday 25 May, 19:00 CEST, live on EHFTV
First leg: 26:30
- Olympiacos SFP hold a perfect record on the home court in EHF European Cup this season, with six wins in as many games
- Olympiacos SFP’s powerful backline caused all sorts of problems for Valur’s defence in the first half of the first leg last week, but Óskar Bjarni Óskarsson’s squad found an answer for them in the second half. It will be interesting to see the tactical battle between coaches Óskarsson and Željko Babic in the return leg
- Valur have struggled with away form recently, recording three wins from their seven matches on the road in all competitions since March, but two of those victories came in the EHF European Cup Men
- the Reykjavik-based club are destined to finish as the highest-scoring squad in the EHF’s third-tier club competition this season, as Valur have scored 369 goals on the path to the ultimate match – 22 more than Olympiacos SFP (347), who are second in this ranking
- the Greek team are counting on support from their passionate fans to help them mount a comeback against Valur and lift the much-coveted trophy
- Olympiacos SFP are in a battle for the title in the Greek League too, while Valur lost in the Icelandic league play-off semi-final, but lifted the Icelandic Cup
Race for top scorer accolade highlights individual brilliance
Savvas Savvas and Benedikt Gunnar Óskarsson are vying the top scorer recognition in the EHF European Cup Men 2023/24, with the Greek left back currently leading the scoring chart with 71 goals, while the Icelandic playmaker has 60. Although Savvas is the favourite to finish as the top scorer given his current position and the fact that the strong left back is also the penalty taker for the home side, the goals scored by both showcase their excellent individual performances this season and outline their key roles in helping their teams to reach the final.
