Taking a break for Christmas and the Men’s EHF EURO 2022 in Hungary and Slovakia, the EHF Champions League Men 2021/22 will resume again in February.
After last week’s final round of matches for the year 2021, there are four teams in each of the groups with a strong position to challenge for the top-two spots and direct qualification for the quarter-finals.
In group A, the difference between leaders Montpellier HB and fourth-ranked THW Kiel is only three points; in B the difference between leaders Lomza Vive Kielce and fourth-ranked Barça is even smaller: just two points.
So, it is time for a mid-season wrap: who has performed well in the first 10 rounds of the group phase, and who has been below par so far?
Montpellier on fire
Anyone thought Montpellier were going to slow down since the previous break of the competition – for the national team week in early November? Think again! The French champions kept going and extended their unbeaten streak in group A to eight matches. OK, they just missed their club record of eight straight wins when they were held to a draw by HC Meshkov Brest last week, with their Swedish duo of Karl Wallinius and Lucas Pellas combining for 19 goals in Belarus, but this Montpellier are going to take some stopping, currently leading the group with two points from Aalborg Håndbold and Pick Szeged.
Elverum from up to down
Speaking about momentum, Norwegian side Elverum have lost it since early November. Coming off a three-match winning streak, they lost the next four games while conceding more than 30 goals each time. So it is in the defensive sector where coach Børge Lund will try to find a solution during the winter break.
Vardar need to turn the tide
Coach Veselin Vujovic seemed to be helping HC Vardar 1961 regain some of their former glory in the first few rounds, starting the season with two wins and a draw. But what followed were seven straight defeats – and not just against the powerhouses like THW Kiel, but also against HC PPD Zagreb last week. The club has reacted and replaced Vujovic for the short time with Vlado Nedanovski, who used to be his assistant. A new coach should be appointed before the Champions League resumes in February.
Top class each week
The Champions League sees Europe’s elite players compete to the highest standards each week. At nearly 33, Niklas Landin confirms week after week he remains one of the best goalkeepers. In last week’s close game against Vardar, the Kiel goalkeeper pulled out some stunning performances again and his 11 saves in total helped the 2020 champions to the win.
Predictions, anyone?
So, you have four big-name clubs separated by just two points; who is going to come out on top? Group B was always going to be an unpredictable affair since the draw was done, and it has become just that. Leaders Lomza Vive Kielce were riding high with two victories over previously unbeaten titleholders Barça, but then suffered back-to-back defeats on tough trips to Paris and Porto.
It opened the door for second-ranked Telekom Veszprém HC, but the Hungarian side slumped to defeats at HC Motor and SG Flensburg-Handewitt.
So, we have Kielce on 14 points, and Veszprém, PSG and Barça all on 12. What do you mean: unpredictable?
A young Spaniard scores the most
While Barça’s Dika Mem topped the scorers’ ranking for some time, he has been caught up before the winter break by four other players, including another left-hander from the Spanish side: Aleix Gomez. Netting 17 times in the last matches – against Porto and PSG – the 24-year-old has been in unstoppable form lately. Regulars Mikkel Hansen and Timur Dibirov, who scored his 1,000th career Champions League goal this autumn, are also in the top 5, as is Elverum’s Tobias Grøndahl.
