Montpellier host Barça in front of 10,000 fans; Füchse clash with Veszprém
The EHF Champions League Men 2026/27 group phase heads into round 2 this week, as some teams can already take a big step towards the main round under the competition's new format. Spotlights will be on France on Thursday when Montpellier Handball host title holders Barça in the Highlight Match between two multiple champions in front of 10,000 spectators at the Sud de France Arena.
This has almost become a traditional fixture; we faced each other four times last season, and we will probably meet again soon at the IHF Club World Championship. So we know each other very well and realise just how tough it’s going to be. Veszprém’s shooting is superb and their defence has improved — they are particularly well-drilled in the central block. So, we are expecting an absolutely top-class match.
Do we have a sense of “revenge” after last season’s games, and could that give the team an extra boost? I think, why revenge? Every game is different. We don’t need any extra motivation for such an important game against a team that played in the final last season. They showed incredible strength, and I’m sure it will be the same this season. I’m only focused on trying to win the game, not on getting revenge.
We know Zagreb are a tough opponent and that we’ll have to be ready for a demanding game. The point in Aalborg was important, but with this new Champions League format, we have to take every point we can. Playing at home in front of our supporters is a big advantage for us, and we want to make the most of it.
I think that Celje showed great resiliency and grit in their opening match on a tough away court in Zagreb, where they came back from deficits several times, so it’s definitely a team that we respect and must prepare well for, if we are to succeed and come away with the points.
We know we are facing a very strong opponent, but playing at home gives us extra energy. We have learned from the first game, and on Wednesday we are ready to fight for every ball and every minute.
I expect a difficult game because GOG are an excellent team with many talented young players. We made a good start to our Champions League campaign, and that should give us confidence ahead of Wednesday's game. It will not be easy for the coaching staff, as we will still have some players missing. I hope we can repeat last year's performance, when we managed to win in Denmark.
We have great respect for PICK Szeged, who are an experienced top European team. They bring an incredible amount of experience, and we are looking forward to challenging them. Last year, we played two good games against PICK Szeged, and we believe we can cause them problems again.
We started strong our Champions League campaign but we are more than aware of how difficult our match in Montpellier is going to be. They also started the group phase with two points and that makes the match even more important.
Montpellier have a great squad depth and some very talented players. We’ll have to give our best and keep improving if we want to take the win.
Skanderborg will be a high-level game, especially because they are playing at home. Skanderborg have some very good shooters, and several of their players also represent the Danish national team, the best team in the world. So, we know what we have to do to perform well against them. We have to do everything right if we want to beat them on their home court. It will be another difficult game, but we always have a chance.
It will be an exciting test against a team we have faced six times already these past three years. Now we have another chance to hopefully give them some trouble. They will, as usual, meet us with a difficult defence and a load of quality players, so we are in it for a good one!
We don’t judge Kolstad Håndball based on their result against SC Magdeburg, that would be the wrong approach. We need to impose our style of play, limit our mistakes and be consistent in both defence and attack. Our goal is to get the two points. We need to be confident, but at the same time calm and humble. It’s a difficult place to play, but I believe we will come away with a win.
For HC Kriens-Luzern, the match against SC Magdeburg is the first (EHF Champions League) home game in our history. It's going to be a very special evening; the excitement within the team and throughout the club is palpable. We are looking forward to a handball celebration day together with our amazing fans.
Luzern are playing in the EHF Champions League for the first time this season, so it’s a new challenge for us as well. New experiences are always exciting. I know, how demanding it will be against this ambitious Swiss team.
