Barcelona to tame Lions, Kiel face Metalurg

Record champions of the VELUX EHF Champions League, FC Barcelona will face the reigning EHF Cup trophy holders Rhein Neckar Löwen in the quarter-finals, while three-time winners THW Kiel will meet Macedonian HC Metalurg.

"I think I said 'yes' in my initial reaction. The team has been working hard, our spectators are looking forward to it. They know what is at stake now. We are very happy with the draw,“ said Löwen manager, Thorsten Storm.

All four pairings of the last knock-out stage before the VELUX EHF FINAL4 were confirmed on Tuesday as the quarter-finals draw of the premier European club competition took place in Vienna.

The EHF President Jean Brihault and the EHF Secretary General Michael Wiederer carried out the draw.

The newcomers of the European top eight PSG Handball will play against the Hungarian champions MKB-MVM Veszprem, while the other quarter-final debutants HC Vardar Skopje will take on another German opponents SG Flensburg-Handewitt. Vardar eliminated the defending champions HSV Hamburg in the Last 16.

"They (Veszprem) have a huge atmosphere in their hall that makes it difficult for any team, but we have the quality, individually and collectively, to cause problems for them," said PSG Handball president Bruno Martini.

The first leg is scheduled for 16-20 April, the second leg will follow from 23 to 27 April. The winning teams of the quarter-finals qualify for the climax of the season, the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in Cologne (31 May and 1 June 2014).

VELUX EHF Champions League Quarter-finals pairings:

Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER) vs FC Barcelona Intersport (ESP)

SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) vs HC Vardar Skopje (MKD)

Metalurg Skopje (MKD) vs THW Kiel (GER)

PSG Handball (FRA) vs MKB Veszprém KC (HUN)

(first leg 16-20 April, second leg 23-27 April)