Imbroglio

That's it the group stage draw for the EHF European League is at our fingertips with today's additional qualified teams in green

Aguas Santas Milaneza - Belenenses 

3 ahead on low scoring Aguas should go through but not likely to be the most attractive match. A 12-goal win for Aguas Santas. Far too easy perhaps. 

Kolstad - Irun 3 ahead on intermediate scoring

Love Bidasoa Irun as I met so many players back in 2001 out of the blue of Erasmus days. They face a tough test to go through. Fingers crossed. I am often as excited as their fans.

Expected to be tough and with 10 minutes to Bidasoa 24-22 trailing. 28-25 losing 12 seconds from the buzzer. Dramatic stuff.  Having won 30-27 the first le.g. Shoot out and various 7-meters missed and it finished 33-31 so Irun going through. Cool.

FEJER Veszprem - Chambery 4 ahead and a win in Nimes were not a good combination to secure a group spot in the end as from a winning 16-15 Chambery lost 31-25 and it was 25-20 with ten minutes to go. 34-31

Silkeborg - Sporting  A nine goal deficit with a solid Sporting team. Nothing is impossible but it could be a massive upset if silky Silke were to overcome the deficit. Silkeborg only won 33-30 so Sporting up to the group stage.

Zurich - Benidorm  I do not foresee Zurich coming back from 10 goals down but what do I know? Do not know how it finished.

Butel Skopje - Alpla Hard Having lost 21-25, in a buoyant North Macedonia city a 4/5-goal deficit is an easy task to deal with. Should be a good game. Impossible to watch on the EHF player but through the live ticker. 22-25 scoring line for the return leg. Really surprised the Austrian outperformed.

FTC Rail - Steaua Bucharest 

FTC only lost 33-31 in Romania. Steaua doing the business with 20 mins left but Balogh and Nagy mates still in contention 22-25  at home. Note the old area taraflex. Young Magyar keeper also doing his bit. Lekai puts Steaua within one. 12 left 27 a piece.  now leading by one 31-29 on 53'20 minutes via a counter. Now leading 35-31 with a 7-meter by Balogh with 30 seconds left. Bucharest coach is obviously not happy. It is how it finished.

Lemgo - Goppingen  Lemgo keen to outscore Goppingen and go through. A must watch on a streaming channel outside EHF TV. Lemgo only won 33-31 so Goppingen qualified.

Aarhus - Kristianstad  All to play for but Aarhus just a tiny advantage.  Aarhus 31-27 leading so 5 ahead should now go through. Two cities well known by handball players. 35-33 it finished on the second outing.

Montpellier - Savehof    USAM are so disappointed not to be in it. New ruling would be an incentive to cheer on the French side. Not really given the rivalry. To be fair Savehof on the men side are not as good as on the women side.

1-2 after 5 mins according to the Live Ticker. Andersson giving Savehof a 2-goal tiny cushion after just 6 mins. Not for long as costly Moller 2-min led to Descat first goal on the night. Tight affair ! second by Villeminot and 3-3 a minute or so later. Hugo makes the most of any opportunity 4-3 9' Savehof technical errors now in abundance perhaps? 6-4 on 13 mins. Moler and Brolin fighting back though. Skube and Lenne easing through 13-8 25' Things are getting tougher 16-8 to the Herault team at the break. It finished 30-26 so Montpellier joining Aix to the group stage.

Nexe - Azoty Pulawy   A very fascinating reverse fixture. Will Nexe reunite with the group stage facing a stern test at home? Nexe did it winning 35- 27

Flensburg - Kwidzyn    Stroll in the park for the Northern Germany side. Roughly a 11-goal advantage at home as well. 37-24 itr finished !

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