Tough tests for top dogs in Round 4

Vardar Skopje and Telekom Veszprém are the only teams in Groups A and B with a perfect VELUX EHF Champions League record of three wins so far, but both sides face tricky tasks this weekend.

• After 13 years, Szeged aim to end the series of defeats against Vardar.
• Entrerrios brothers Raul (FCB) and Alberto (Nantes) clash in Barcelona.
• Flensburg are out to take revenge for the 2016 quarter-finals at Kielce.
• In the Match of the Week, Veszprém hope to extend their winning streak against Kiel and former players Zeitz and Vujin.

GROUP A

MOL-Pick Szeged (HUN) vs HC Vardar (MKD)
Saturday 7 October, 17:30 local time, live on ehfTV.com

It will be the first true test of this VELUX EHF Champions League season for the defending champions in Hungary.

The last Szeged win against Vardar dates back to 2004 and the Hungarian runners-up will feel this could be their best chance to end that run and hand the side from Skopje their first defeat of the season, in a match which will be special for former Vardar left back Sergey Gorbok, now playing for Szeged.

In the two previous seasons, both sides were drawn in the same groups and all four matches were won by the Macedonian champions, who are the only team in Group A with a 100% record of three wins after three rounds. After their opening defeat at Nantes, Szeged left Zagreb and Kristianstad behind.

Both clubs have a clean record in their domestic competitions, as Szeged won all five matches in the Hungarian league so far and defending SEHA Liga champions Vardar have won four from four in their defence of the title.

FC Barcelona Lassa (ESP) vs HBC Nantes (FRA)
Saturday 7 October, 20:00 local time, live on ehfTV.com

This duel is an extraordinary family and former club affair. Barcelona’s Raul Entrerrios will face his brother Alberto, Nantes’ assistant coach, while Nantes’ Kiril Lazarov, Eduardo Gurbindo and David Balaguer face their former club and Barcelona’s Valero Rivera Junior rejoined his hometown club from Nantes last summer.

With home court advantage and a wealth of experience in this competition, Barcelona are favourites  against the French runners-up.

Barcelona are still unbeaten, only dropping a single point at Rhein-Neckar Löwen in Round 1, putting them two points ahead of Nantes, who started perfectly by beating Szeged, then lost at Vardar and also drew with Löwen, thanks to penalty save by goalkeeper Cyril Dumoulin in the dying seconds.

Nantes’ unbeaten record in domestic competitions came to an end on Wednesday as they lost 30:27 to Montpellier, while Barcelona’s incredible unbeaten record in the Asobal league was never in danger during their 34:19 midweek win against Benidorm.

After the last home match of FC Barcelona’s football team was played without any spectators on the day of the Catalan independence vote and the entire club took part in the general strike on Tuesday, it remains to be seen whether the political situation will have an influence on the match.

Further matches:

IFK Kristianstad (SWE) vs Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER)
Saturday 7 October, 17:30 local time, live on ehfTV.com

HC Prvo plinarsko drustvo Zagreb (CRO) vs POL Orlen Wisla Plock
Sunday 8 October, 17:00 local time, live on ehfTV.com

GROUP B

PGE Vive Kielce (POL) vs SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER)
Sunday 8 October, 15:00 local time, live on ehfTV.com

While the news on-court has not been amazing so far, off-court headlines signal a bright future for Kielce after their press conference in Warsaw on Monday.

The 2016 champions announced coach Talant Dujshebaev extended his contract until 2023 and confirmed a host of quality players would be joining over the next couple of years, such as Kiel keeper Andreas Wolff and Vardar playmaker Luka Cindric.

After two away defeats at Brest and Celje, Kielce are under a bit of pressure, but their impressive 32:21 win at home against Kiel two weeks ago will fill them with confidence.

The history of this encounter is short, but thrilling: After a 28:28 at Flensburg, a 29:28 on home court was enough for Kielce to proceed to the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in 2016, where they ended up winning the title.

Flensburg will arrive at Poland with the confidence from beating PSG 31:27 in the previous round. If goalkeeper Mattias Andersson will have another golden day, the German side may have a chance to avenge that 2016 defeat.

Telekom Veszprém HC (HUN) vs THW Kiel (GER) - ehfTV.com Match of the Week
Sunday 8 October, 17:00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV.com

Since 2014, Veszprém have qualified for all VELUX EHF FINAL4 tournaments. The last team to eliminate the 2015 and 2016 finalists before reaching Cologne were THW Kiel in 2013, winning both quarter-finals by a single goal.

Much has changed since then and Kiel are struggling for form in both the German Bundesliga (four defeats in eight matches) and VELUX EHF Champions League (one win from three).

On the other hand, Veszprém are flying through all competitions, winning all eight matches in the Champions League and Hungarian league combined. All things considered, the chances for new coach Ljubomir Vranjes to beat his former club Flensburg’s biggest rivals appear strong.

Mate Lekai has been unstoppable this season, topping the scorers list and being voted player of the round three weeks in a row, easing any worries about the absence of felllow playmaker Aron Palmarsson from the squad.

The match will bring together some players and their former clubs such as Momir Ilic, who won the VELUX EHF Champions League 2010 and 2012 with Kiel, his Serbian countryman Marko Vujin, who had played for Veszprém before joining Kiel in 2012, and three-time champion Christian Zeitz, who enjoyed a spell at Veszprém before rejoining Kiel last season.

Further matches:

Aalborg Handbold (DEN) vs HC Meshkov Brest (BLR)
Sunday 8 October, 16:50 hrs local time, live on ehfTV.com

Paris Saint-Germain Handball (FRA) vs RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko (SLO)
Sunday 8 October, 17:00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV.com