GOG and Barça join Veszprém in Cologne in EHF Youth Club Trophy

Thursday saw the fourth and final qualification tournament begin in Bucharest, where home side CS Dinamo Bucuresti booked themselves a place in the final by beating Orlen Wisla Plock. Plock will take on their fellow Polish side KSS Iskra Kielce in the bronze medal match, after HC Eurofarm Pelister got the better of them in their semi-final. Later this evening, we will know all four teams who will take part in the fight for the EHF Youth Club Trophy title at the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2025 in Cologne.

All matches in the EHF Youth Club Trophy are streamed live on EHFTV (geo-blocking may apply).

• Barça secured themselves a place in Cologne thanks to a dominant second half display against U18-Paris Saint-Germain Handball to win the qualification tournament 2 final, 37:28
• A 40:33 win for GOG guaranteed their chance to fight for the trophy, as they beat Füchse Berlin in the qualification tournament 3 final
• SC Magdeburg defeated IK Sävehof (35:31) and Sporting CP beat HBC Nantes (29:22) to win the bronze medal matches in qualification tournaments 3 and 2, respectively
• Veszprém Handball Academy were the first participants confirmed for Cologne, as the hosts of the first qualification tournament took a narrow win against OTP Bank - PICK Szeged (31:30)
• HC Zagreb defeated HC Vojvodina in a high-scoring bronze medal match (43:41) in qualification tournament 1
• CS Dinamo Bucuresti face HC Eurofarm Pelister at 18:00 CEST tonight to determine the fourth and final qualifier
• KSS Iskra Kielce and Orlen Wisla Plock meet in an all-Polish battle for bronze on Romanian soil

EHF YOUTH CLUB TROPHY, QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENTS

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 2, BRONZE MEDAL MATCH

Sporting CP (POR) vs HBC Nantes (FRA) 29:22 (16:13)

Having ended up on the wrong side of a 34:31 semi-final on Wednesday, Sporting CP were determined to record a victory over French opposition in their qualification tournament, racing into a 4:0 and then a 5:1 lead inside five minutes, with Rafael Vasconcelos notching three of those goals. Though Nantes showed their mettle by coming back to within one at 8:7, Sporting picked up the momentum again, twice leading by five before taking a 16:13 lead into the break.

HBC reduced the deficit to two at 18:16 in the 37th minute, only for Sporting to begin a run of seven goals without reply, failing to concede for over 12 minutes and opening their joint-largest lead of the match, nine goals. The Portuguese side eventually ran out 29:22 winners to finish third. Vasconcelos accounted for 13 of Sporting's 29 goals, while Leo Gendronneau top scored for Nantes with six.

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 2, FINAL

U18-Paris Saint-Germain Handball (FRA) vs Barça (ESP) 28:37 (15:18)

A second clear victory for the host club was secured last night along with the ticket to Cologne, but Barça were made to work for it, especially in the opening 30 minutes. U18-Paris Saint-Germain Handball kept within touching distance, levelling the scores five times before Thomas Omeyer struck to give them a 11:10 lead in the 20th minute. However, a perfect end to the first half for the hosts saw them turn a 15:14 deficit into an 18:15 lead at the break.

Though Seraphin Marie got PSG back to within one, Barça then went through the gears, scoring six goals without reply. That seemed to knock the stuffing out of the French side, who soon found themselves 11 goals behind (35:24) as Barça put the game firmly out of reach. Six of Anselmo Collado Carrion's nine goals came after the break, as Omeyer and Marie netted five apiece for the Parisians.

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 3, SEMI-FINALS

Füchse Berlin (GER) vs IK Sävehof (SWE) 33:31 (15:13)

On Thursday, the MBS Arena in Potsdam was treated to two thrilling semi-finals, both of which were decided by two-goal margins. Hosts Füchse Berlin gave themselves breathing room by opening up four-goal leads at 15:11, but two goals to end the half from the Swedish visitors reduced the deficit. 

A 28:23 lead for the home side looked to be enough by the 45th minute, only for Sävehof to rally, and level the scores at 29:29. However, three goals in the last five minutes for Leo Nowak eventually got the Foxes over the line. Those were three of an incredible 17 for Nowak, as Oliver Lagerkvist struck seven times for Sävehof.

GOG (DEN) vs SC Magdeburg (GER) 38:36 (17:18)

In the second semi-final, GOG came from a goal down at the break to get the better of SC Magdeburg. In a topsy-turvy first half, the German outfit went 3:0 up, only for the Danish youngsters to create a three-goal lead of their own midway through the half. A 4:2 run to finish the first 30 minutes was enough for Magdeburg to hold the narrowest of leads at half-time.

Magdeburg looked to be on course for the final when they led 27:22 after 40 minutes, but GOG came roaring back once more, retaking the lead at 31:30, and this time it was their turn to end a half with a 4:2 run, enabling the victory. Emil Darling Sørensen scored nine for GOG, as Malte Elze found the net seven times for Magdeburg.

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 3, BRONZE MEDAL MATCH

IK Sävehof (SWE) vs SC Magdeburg (GER) 31:35 (15:20)

SC Magdeburg put distance between themselves at IK Sävehof in the first half and held off the challenge in the second to secure bronze in Potsdam. The German youngsters found themselves 5:3 down in the eighth minute, but things only got better from there, turning a 7:7 into a 17:11 lead in a 12-minute spell.

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 3, FINAL

Füchse Berlin (GER) vs GOG (DEN) 33:40 (15:18)

GOG are the winners of qualification tournament 3 after a ruthless attacking display saw them outgun their hosts Füchse Berlin. Magnus Boysen Møldrup set GOG on their way in the first minute and the visitors never relinquished the lead.

Having trailed by four, the Berlin side reduced the gap to just 9:8 and 22:21 either side of the break, but they could never find an equaliser to shift the momentum. Late on, the advantage only grew and the Danish side knew they could book their Cologne tickets once they hit the 40-goal mark with two minutes to spare. Julian Kusche hit double figures for the Foxes, but Oskar Møller Jacobsen found the net 11 times for GOG.

QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT 4, SEMI-FINALS

KSS Iskra Kielce (POL) vs HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD) 29:37 (11:22)

22 goals in the first 30 minutes did the damage for HC Eurofarm Pelister, who were able to take their foot off the gas in the second half in preparation for Friday's final. Nine of Alem Hadzic's 14 goals came before the interval, including the first two of the match, building a lead which Pelister never surrendered.

Kielce put some respectability on the final result by outscoring Pelister 18:15 in the second half. Karol Peczkowicz was their best scorer with six strikes.

CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) vs Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) 31:28 (19:13)

In front of their home supporters at the Dinamo Arena, CS Dinamo Bucuresti also began with the wind in their sails, opening up a six-goal advantage by half-time. Cosmin Alexandru Stanciu was making the most of playing in front of the crowd, scoring with all eight of his shots.

Unlike their compatriots, Plock came close to a comeback in the second half, reducing the deficit to 24:23 before the home side finally held their nerve to close out the win and a place in the final. Dinamo could do little to stop Maksym Matyszczyk, who netted 13 times for Plock.

Main photo © Sylvia Goeres, in-text images © Sylvia Goeres, Barça